Goal-hungry Japan floored Uzbekistan 5-1 with an explosive performance in a friendly on Tuesday, with young guns Takashi Usami and Gaku Shibasaki pointing to a bright future for the Blue Samurai. Shibasaki scored Japan's third on 80 minutes with an outrageous lob from just inside the Uzbekistan half, before fellow substitute Usami capped a superb cameo by slamming in a fourth soon afterwards.
Toshihiro Aoyama triggered the rout after just six minutes in Tokyo with a sumptuous long-range volley and Shinji Okazaki doubled the home side's lead nine minutes into the second half with a classic poacher's strike.
The floodgates opened after Shibasaki's stunner. Uzbekistan replied two minutes later through Islom Tukhtakhujaev, only for Usami to slalom past three defenders and smash home his first goal for Japan. There was still time for Kengo Kawamata to register his own maiden goal for his country, completing a perfect week for new coach Vahid Halilhodzic after Friday's 2-0 win over Tunisia. Five of Japan's seven goals under the Franco-Bosnian have come from substitutes. "It was a spectacular display," said Halilhodzic, who replaced Javier Aguirre after the Mexican was sacked over allegations of match-fixing dating back to his time in Spain.
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