Japan hammered Myanmar 10-0 at home on Friday to make the final round of the Asian qualifying for the 2022 World Cup, Yuya Osako scoring five goals for his second straight hat-trick and Takumi Minamino getting a brace.
Werder Bremen forward Osako scored three times within the first half before adding two after the break, again behind closed doors at Fukuda Denshi Arena near Tokyo, where Japan had resumed their campaign with a 14-0 win over Mongolia on March 30.
The Group F game on Friday was initially scheduled for March 25 but was postponed following the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar.
"I'm happy we've come out of the second round of qualifying," said Hajime Moriyasu, who fielded a strong side comprised of Europe-based players as Japan won their sixth straight without conceding a goal.
"We've shown that aggressive attitude, to go for another goal even after the result was beyond doubt, and also not slacking off to keep a clean sheet...They were focused on playing at a high standard."
Minamino, starting on the left of three attacking midfielders, scored in his sixth straight qualifier eight minutes in, crisply exchanging passes with Daichi Kamada before keeping his calm inside the box to chip over opposing keeper San Sa Naing.
Osako got on the scoresheet in the 22nd minute after Minamino played overlapping veteran Yuto Nagatomo down the left, whose cross was headed home by Osako as Japan pinned the visitors in their own half.
Right-back Hiroki Sakai won a penalty converted by Osako on the half-hour mark before Nagatomo showed a great leap to nod down a Junya Ito cross from the right for Osako to stick home from close range in the 36th minute.
Osako got his fourth four minutes into the second half, deflecting Minamino's effort into the net before Hidemasa Morita slotted home a low cross from substitute Sei Muroya in the 56th minute.
Minamino nutmegged a defender before scoring his second on the night 10 minutes later. Kamada scored from Muroya's cross to make it 8-0 before Minamino set up Osako's fifth and one for Ko Itakura, both headers, as Japan scored three in the final six minutes to complete the scoring.
"National team is a completely different thing, I've been able to switch my mentality from training," said Osako, who struggled for form for Bremen this term.
Japan won their away game in Myanmar 2-0 back on Sept. 10, 2019, when Shoya Nakajima and Minamino scored.
Around 50 Myanmar nationals living in Japan protested against the Myanmar military outside the stadium in Chiba Prefecture, claiming it has taken control of the Myanmar Football Federation.
The protest's organizer said around 10 players declined to play for the Myanmar national team in protest of the coup but were retaliated against.
"The current Myanmar national team has only been dispatched by the military and we don't see them as our representatives," said a 48-year-old resident in Chiba who has been living in Japan for over 20 years.
