The Japanese national team has warmed up for the forthcoming triple header of World Cup qualifying matches in superb fashion with successive 4-0 victories in the 30th anniversary edition of the Kirin Cup. The three-team mini-tournament is held annually in Japan in May or June to help prepare the national squad for its competitive fixtures, but few had expected Takeshi Okada’s side to build up momentum in such spectacular style in their meetings with this year’s guests, Belgium and Chile.
Shinji Okazaki had been the focus of much attention ahead of Wednesday’s opening game against Chile, in front of a full house at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka, and the Shimizu S-Pulse forward did plenty to justify his inclusion in Okada’s first eleven with two coolly taken goals in the opening 24 minutes. Yuki Abe headed home a Yasuhito Endo corner shortly after half-time, before Keisuke Honda of Dutch side VVV Venlo added a touch of gloss to the win with his first international goal in stoppage time.
Following a 1-1 draw between the two guest nations in Chiba on Friday, Japan were quick to pick up where they left off as they hosted Belgium at the National Stadium in Tokyo last night. Yuto Nagatomo burst forward from the left-back position to open the scoring after 21 minutes, before Kawasaki Frontale’s Kengo Nakamura added a second moments later. Second half goals from Okazaki - his sixth in Japan’s seven games this year - and Kisho Yano were enough to secure a second 4-0 win in four days.
The team now head off to Tashkent to face Uzbekistan in World Cup qualifying on Saturday, before hosting Qatar in Yokohama next Wednesday. A win in either will be enough to guarantee qualification for the finals in South Africa ahead of the final group match away to leaders Australia in Melbourne on 17 June.
Meanwhile, the J1 teams not involved in the AFC Champions League were also in action this weekend, as the group stage of the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup entered its fourth round of matches. Despite sitting on top of Group A after their first three games, Omiya Ardija went down to a crushing 7-0 defeat at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, while Oita Trinita put aside their league blues to enjoy an exciting 3-3 draw away to Yokohama F Marinos.
Kirin Cup results
Japan 4-0 Chile
Belgium 1-1 Chile
Japan 4-0 Belgium
Yamazaki Nabisco Cup results (matchday 4)
Group A
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 7-0 Omiya Ardija
Urawa Reds 2-0 Albirex Niigata
Yokohama F Marinos 3-3 Oita Trinita
Group B
Montedio Yamagata 0-1 JEF United Chiba
Kyoto Sanga 1-1 FC Tokyo
Kashiwa Reysol 1-2 Shimizu S-Pulse
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