"It is encouraging that we aim for victory in this tournament and that it helps with growth."
Coach Hajime Moriyasu's Japan marked a bright start by defeating Hong Kong 6-1 in the first match of the 2025 EAFF E-1 Championship held at Yongin Mir Stadium on the afternoon of the 8th.
On this day, Japan fielded a lineup close to a third-string team predominantly composed of J League players, but completely overwhelmed Hong Kong in organization and firepower. The standout player was Jermain Ryo, a Sanfrecce Hiroshima forward who made his first A match appearance. He scored an incredible four goals by the 26th minute of the first half, achieving a 'poker' (4 goals) in his debut match.
With consecutive assists from Yuki Soma, Jermain scored goals in the 4th and 10th minutes, followed by a left-foot shot from the top of the arc and a right-foot shot in front of the goal to complete a hat trick and his fourth goal. Japan decisively took control of the match by scoring five goals in the first half alone. Sho Inagaki also shone with a long-range shot.
Hong Kong managed to pull one back with a header from Matthew Orr in the 58th minute from a corner kick, but they were unable to take control, being on the back foot throughout the first half. In stoppage time of the second half, Shota Nakamura added a sealing goal, ending the match with a 6-1 victory for Japan.
Japan demonstrated explosive offensive power from the early stages of the tournament, proving their status as title contenders.
After the match, coach Moriyasu noted, "The first match of a tournament is never easy. The players played a domestic league match on Saturday and then traveled to Korea. Despite the short period of two days, they prepared for the match to the best of their abilities, and even with just one meeting and training, they generally knew how to approach the game. Both the coaching staff and the players were well prepared. Thanks to that, we were able to show the performance we had today. There were tactical aspects we wanted to try, and I believe the individual players performed well. Because of that, we were able to score six goals."
He also talked about Jermain Ryo, who scored four goals. He stated, "When I saw his performance in the previous season in the J League, I thought he was a player who could score more. Jermain not only contributed in scoring and post play but also showed good performance in defensive engagement from the attacking line."
He added, "Thanks to his excellent team contribution, he has been able to play consistently for his club (Sanfrecce Hiroshima). Currently, Jermain's performance is filled with confidence, and because of that, he was able to score four goals not only in the J League but also in this tournament. Although four goals were scored by Jermain, they were also goals created by his teammates. Many players showed good performances in both offense and defense, and as a team, we scored a total of six goals by adding two more goals."
In the second half, Japan did not perform as well as in the first half. Regarding this, coach Moriyasu explained, "There was only two days, and the players seemed a bit fatigued. Those who came from Hiroshima or Kobe had played more matches, and since most of the players moved to Korea after playing in the domestic league, they appeared fatigued in the second half."
He continued, "Therefore, it was natural to replace five players. I think they found it a bit difficult with these changes. However, our players played for victory, and I believe this attitude led to additional goals in the second half. They shone in their efforts to play for victory until the end of the match."
On that day, six players made their debuts for Japan. Coach Moriyasu mentioned, "I hope the players gathered for this tournament can gain experiences through playing on the pitch that lead to greater growth. It is encouraging that we aim for victory in this tournament and that it helps with growth."
He said, "Four of the substitute players also made their debuts, and I hoped they could gain experience in the context I mentioned earlier. I think being able to directly feel the gap with the national team will contribute to improving the overall skills of the national team and help with the individual growth of the players. Regarding the substitutions in the second half, the players really performed well in the first half, which increased the options for using substitute players. I believe this contributed to raising the players' experience levels."
In 2022, Japan drew 0-0 with China. Moriyasu stated, "We recorded a draw in the last tournament. I believe China is a team with great potential. I remember we struggled to find a point to win and ended up helplessly with a draw. I watched the match between Korea and China yesterday, and I think it was a complete victory for Korea. Considering the individual abilities of the players, I think China also has potential. Since China lost yesterday, they will aim for victory in the next match, and I think we need to prepare a bit better."
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