Outstanding Uzbekistan end Japan's reign

Uzbekistan showcased a dominant display of football and raced to a comfortable three-goal lead in the first half, before Jasurbek Yakhshiboev sealed the win with his second goal of the game after the break.

Before the match began, both teams observed a minute’s silence in memory of the Uzbekistan citizens who perished in the recent bus fire in Kazakhstan.

Uzbekistan, well aware of Japan’s quality, applied pressure from the start and didn’t give the young Samurai Blue any space to move freely.

The early aggression gave Uzbekistan the lion’s share of possession, forcing Japan to play on the counter.