NEWS

Kota Mizunuma scored twice in Japan’s 5-0 victory over Yemen in their opening Group A match of the AFC Under-19 Championship in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

The top four finishers in the tournament will earn berths in next year’s FIFA Under-20 World Cup.
Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Stadium in Dammam, midfielder Mizunuma put Japan ahead in the 12th minute with a skillful lob after latching on to a through ball from Kosuke Yamamoto.
Although Japan Under-19 coach Tatsuya Makiuchi was forced to make an early substitution when forward Yoichiro Kakitani was injured in the 23rd minute, the young Boys in Blue displayed good football to overcome the setback.
In the 32nd minute, Kensuke Nagai, who replaced Kakitani, played a one-two with Hiroki Miyazawa for Japan’s second goal.
Japan’s attacking domination continued after the break and they scored three more goals in the space of five minutes.
Midfielder Yamamoto made it 3-0 in the 51st minute with an individual effort, Mizunuma found the net again a minute later and Jun Suzuki fired home his team’s fifth goal from the edge of the box in the 55th minute.
“We scored at the right moments,” Makiuchi said. “And that helped us relax and play well for the rest of the game.”
“Yemen defended hard in the first half, so we changed things around in the second period, trying to use the flanks more. As Yemen had to come forward, we were able to score three more goals.”
Japan, seeking their eighth straight berth in the World Cup, will play Iran on Sunday and hosts Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Saudi Arabia beat Iran 2-1 on Friday.
In the 16-team tournament, the top two finishers will advance to the quarterfinals on November 8. The semifinals will be played on November 11 and the final on November 14.