Japan Cruise to Victory Over China in World Cup Qualifier
Wataru Endo and Kaoru Mitoma gave Japan a comfortable lead in their Group C clash against China, setting the tone for a dominant performance. Endo opened the scoring in the 12th minute, capitalizing on a corner opportunity after Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei denied Ritsu Doan’s header moments earlier. The Liverpool midfielder, unmarked on the play, made no mistake with a clinical header off a well-placed ball from Takefusa Kubo.
Japan continued to press and create chances. Doan came close to adding a second in the 33rd minute, and Hidemasa Morita hit the side-netting just before halftime. Kaoru Mitoma, just before the break, doubled the lead with a clever header, meeting Doan’s curling center and leaving Wang helpless.
The second half saw Japan continue to assert their dominance. Takumi Minamino, set free by Mitoma’s pass, extended their lead in the 52nd minute with a beautiful strike that beat Wang. Minamino secured his brace six minutes later, finishing perfectly into the bottom corner, leaving Wang with no chance.
Substitute Junya Ito made an immediate impact, scoring the fifth goal with a deflected shot in the 77th minute. Ito then turned provider, setting up Daizen Maeda for the sixth goal with a well-placed header. Takefusa Kubo put the exclamation point on a comprehensive victory, lashing the ball into the roof of the net in injury time to seal a 7-0 win.
With a strong start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, Japan has set their sights on automatic qualification for the 2026 finals, where Asia has been granted eight guaranteed spots, with a potential ninth up for grabs via the intercontinental playoff.
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