Defending champions Japan thrashed Palestine 4-0 in their Asian Cup opener on Monday, giving them the perfect start in their quest for a fifth title.
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The Blue Samurai, who won the tournament for a record fourth time in 2011, needed only eight minutes to take the lead against a Palestine team making their first appearance in Asia’s showcase competition.
Yasuhito Endo, making his 149th appearance for Japan, rifled a shot into the bottom corner, goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh going down in installments to gift the J-League player of the year his 15th international goal.
Shinji Okazaki, who has been in a rich vein of form for German club Mainz, scored with a poacher’s strike in the 25th minute, reacting with razor-sharp reflexes to head in a volley from Shinji Kagawa which looked to be fizzing wide.
Keisuke Honda, Japan’s bleachblond cult hero, then stroked home a penalty just before half-time before defender Maya Yoshida nodded in a fourth as the floodgates threatened to burst open.
Palestine, whose preparations for tournaments are invariably disrupted by political turmoil in their war-torn homeland, were barely given a sniff by a well-drilled Japan backline marshalled by Southampton centre-back Yoshida.
A brilliant individual goal from Iraq midfielder Yaser Kasim was the difference as 2007 champions Iraq opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Jordan in Brisbane.
Kasim broke the stalemate in the 77th minute when he collected the ball just outside the box and weaved his way through two defenders with a mazey run.
He found just enough space to squeeze out a shot, which took a wicked deflection off defender Tareq Khattab’s foot and gave keeper Amer Shafi no chance.
The Jordanian’s best chance fell to Oday Al Saify, but his shot was deflected wide.
