East Asian Football Championship: Hong Kong shown their level by rampant Japan
City’s team floored by first-half onslaught in South Korea, but score their first East Asian finals goal since 2003
Battered and bruised Hong Kong suffered an embarrassing 6-1 loss to an inexperienced Japan side in their opening East Asian Football Championship finals match in Seoul on Tuesday.
Ryo Germain, one of six Japanese starting debutants, helped himself to four quick-fire goals as his side sprinted into a 5-0 lead after 26 minutes.
Sandwiched between those, midfielder Sho Inagaki leathered in Japan’s third goal from 25 yards.
Slight solace for Hong Kong came with their first East Asian finals goal since 2003 when Matt Orr netted after 59 minutes. Sota Nakamura, who had replaced Germain at half-time, scored Japan’s sixth with the final kick.
“The result speaks for itself,” Ashley Westwood, the Hong Kong head coach, said. “We’re a team striving for improvement and lessons. It’s a good learning curve, it’s progress, good for the future, and it will help us grow and make us stronger.”