| Yamabori scores 6
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September 3, 2007
Japan 7 Hong Kong (China) 1
Japanese captain Yamabori Takahiko smashed six goals to propel Japan past Hong Kong 7-1 and move a step ahead in clinching a semi-final place here at the 2007 BSNL Asia Cup here on Monday. Japan now has six points from two matches. In the first match, they created an upset beating three-time Asia Cup champions Pakistan 3-1. If Japan beat Malaysia on Tuesday, they would ensure a semi-final berth. Japan’s last match is against Singapore, a match that Japan is expected to win easily.
Yamabori opened the scoring sheets for Japan in the second minute.
Hong Kong, then managed to stave of the Japanese for almost 20 minutes. Japan then converted a penalty corner in the 23rd minute, Yoshida Kazuo flicking in powerfully to have Japan lead 2-0.
Yamabori added to the tally with a blistering penalty corner flick in the 28th minute to enhance the lead to 3-0.
At the break, Japan led 3-0.
Yamabori was back in action with his third and Japan’s fourth goal with another superb display of penalty corner conversion in the 46th minute.
Hong Kong cut the scores in the 53rd minute with a penalty corner conversion by Arif Ali. Yamabori who had argued with the umpire on the penalty corner being awarded to Hong Kong was shown the yellow card.
But the Japanese captain came back from suspension to score his fourth and Japan’s fifth goal, again off a penalty corner conversion in the 65th minute.
In the last three minutes, 67th and 70th, Yamabori was unstoppable, easily beating the Hong Kong defence to sink two penalty corners, an indirect and a direct, to notch up a personal tally of six goals in the match and help Japan win 7-1.
Score Sheet:
Yamabori Takahiko (2nd, FG) 1-0
Yoshida Kazuo (23rd, PC) 2-0
Yamabori Takahiko (28th, PC) 3-0
Yamabori Takahiko (46th, PC) 4-0
Arif Ali (53rd, PC) 1-4
Yamabori Takahiko (65th, PC) 5-1
Yamabori Takahiko (67th, FG) 6-1
Yamabori Takahiko (70th, PC) 7-1
| Schedule |
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Final Standings :
1. India
2. S Korea
3. Malaysia
4. Japan
5. China
6. Pakistan
7. Bangladesh
8. Hong Kong
9. Sri Lanka
10. Singapore
11. Thailand
Sunday's Matches  |
|||||||
| TEAM A | TEAM B | Playoff | TIME | RESULT | |||
| S Lanka | SPore | 9/10 | 08:00 | 6-0 | |||
| Ban | HKG | 7/8 | 07:00 | 3-1 | |||
| China | Pak | 5/6 | 09:30 | 3-2 | |||
| Malaysia | Japan | 3/4 | 16:00 | 5-3 | |||
| India | S Korea | 1/2 | 18:30 | 7-2 | |||
|
Saturday's Matches |
|||||||
| TEAM A | v | TEAM B | TIME | RESULT | |||
| Singapore | v | Thailand | 08:00 | 4-0 | |||
| Pak | v | Ban | 07:00 | 10-0 | |||
| China | v | HongKong | 09:30 | 6-1 | |||
| S Korea | v | Malaysia | 17:00 | 2-1 | |||
| India | v | Japan | 19:30 | 4-1 | |||
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SCORE TABLE |
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| POOL A | |||||||
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS |
| Malaysia SF | 4 | 3 | 1 | 26 | 4 | 10 | |
| Japan SF | 4 | 3 | 1 | 18 | 4 | 9 | |
| Pakistan | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 7 | 7 |
| Hong Kong | 4 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 28 | 3 | |
| Singapore | 4 | 4 | 2 | 27 | 0 | ||
| POOL B | |||||||
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | PTS |
| India SF | 5 | 5 | 46 | 2 | 15 | ||
| S Korea SF | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 8 | 10 |
| China | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 6 | 10 |
| Bangladesh | 5 | 2 | 3 | 16 | 22 | 6 | |
| Sri Lanka | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 46 | 3 | |
| Thailand | 5 | 5 | 1 | 67 | 0 | ||
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 A team should be ready to play anyone. Of course, more |
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