Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Riffa: A much-changed Japan cruised into the AFC U-19 Championship Bahrain 2015 final with a 3-0 win over Vietnam at Bahrain National Stadium on Thursday.
Coach Atsushi Uchiyama made 10 changes from the side that beat Tajikistan 4-0 in the quarter-finals with the only player to return, Mizuki Ichimaru, donning the captain’s armband.
Takeru Kishimoto gave the young Samurai Blue an early lead with six minutes on the clock before Shunta Nakamura netted a second goal six minutes later.
Nakamura then doubled his tally shortly after halftime after a defensive error from Vietnam.
First-time semi-finalists Vietnam were struggling to make much headway in the first half, as Japan took the game to them from the opening whistle.
A free kick from the right in the 6th minute was pumped in by Ichimaru as Kou Itakura knocked the ball down for Kishimoto to stab beyond Vietnam goalkeeper Bui Tien Dung.