Japan's men's national football team secured a comfortable victory over China in the latest round of Asian Cup qualifiers on Saturday. The match was played at the National Stadium in Tokyo and saw Japan defeat their East Asian rivals 3-0.
The first goal of the game came in the 15th minute when substitute Kenta Kubo scored after being substituted into the lineup. Kubo had been making his debut for Japan and showed great form with his first touch and shot from distance.
In the second half, Japan continued to dominate the game and added two more goals to their tally. In the 47th minute, Shota Goto scored after receiving a pass from Kubo. Then, in the 69th minute, Takaaki Nakamura scored his third goal of the match to put Japan well ahead.
The win over China moves Japan up to fourth place in the group standings, while China remains in sixth place. The next game for Japan will be against Uzbekistan on September 28 in Dushanbe.
Overall, this victory is a significant boost for Japan's chances of advancing to the Asia Cup finals. With Kubo playing a crucial role in the win, it seems that he has become an important player for the Japanese national team.