Sasaki’s Corner Hat-Trick Ends China’s Johor Cup as Japan Beat Them 4-1

China’s tournament is over. Japan made sure of it on Wednesday afternoon, and they did it almost entirely from the penalty corner circle.

Japan won 4-1 at Taman Daya, all four of their goals coming from penalty corners, three of them scored by the same man. Shogo Sasaki converted in the 27th, 50th and 55th minutes, a hat-trick built entirely on corners, with Haruki Sasaki adding the other from a corner in the 52nd. China’s only reply came from Li Kai, a field goal in the 54th, squeezed between the third and fourth Japanese goals. (Here’s how we said it would go beforehand.)

A game that waited, then went bang

The first quarter finished goalless, and Japan only led 1-0 at half-time through Sasaki’s first. For a while this looked like it might stay tight.

It didn’t. Three Japanese corners in six second-half minutes, from the 50th to the 55th, turned 1-0 into 4-1 and ended the argument. Li Kai’s goal at least gave China something for the day, but by then the pattern was set. China can score. They scored in all four of their games. They just can’t stop anyone scoring more.

What it leaves behind

China go home, well, back to the team hotel, with four defeats from four and 18 goals conceded. Their group stage is done, and so is their tournament. The debutants had moments, the 3-1 lead over Pakistan on day one will live in this event’s memory for a while, but moments aren’t points and they finish with none.

Japan are a different story. Six points from three games, and Friday’s meeting with Pakistan is now enormous. Win it and they’re in the final conversation properly. They’ll also know this about themselves: when the field goals aren’t flowing, the corner battery is. Sasaki’s three corners today take him to four goals for the tournament, and he’s suddenly the top scorer in Johor.

For our money, that’s the bit Pakistan should be watching on the video tonight. Japan don’t need open play to hurt you. They need four corners and a man who can’t miss right now. The full story of the week so far is in our Day 3 round-up, and every score lands in the Live Centre.