GUWAHATI, India -- Keito Nakamura scored three goals and Japan earned a 6-1 win over Honduras in the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup opener for each on Sunday at Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium.
It was the second match of a Group E doubleheader that started with France beating New Caledonia, 7-1.
The Japanese jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 30 minutes thanks to a pair of strikes from Nakamura (22’, 30’).
Patrick Palacios halved the deficit in the 36th minute, sweeping in with his left foot from three-yards out as Japan struggled to deal with Luis Palma’s right-sided corner kick.
Japan went on to net four unanswered goals.
Nakamura completed his hat-trick in the 43rd minute and Takefusa Kubo made 4-1 two minutes later.
Taisei Miyashiro (51’) and Toichi Suzuki (90’) completed the scoreline in the second half.
Next Up: Honduras will face New Caledonia on Wednesday at the same venue.
2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup
October 8, 2017: Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium -- Guwahati, India (Att: 13,285)
Honduras-Japan 1-6 (1-4)
Patrick Palcios 36’ / Keito Nakamura 22’, 30’, 43’; Takefusa Kubo 45’; Taisei Miyashiro 51’; Toichi Suzuki (90’)
Honduras: Alex Rivera; Santiago Cabrera, Axel Gomez (Joshua Canales 75’), Cristian Moreira, Luis Palma, Jorge Flores (Kenneth Martinez 60’), Gerson Chavez, Patrick Palacios, Alessandro Castro (Everson Lopez 46’), Carlos Mejia, Emilio Campos. Head Coach: Jose Valladares.
Japan: Kosei Tani; Yuki Kobayashi, Rei Hirakawa (Kohei Okuno 53’), Yukinari Sugawara, Hinata Kida, Takefusa Kubo, Shimpei Fukuoka, Taisei Miyashiro (Seiya Baba 78’), Keito Nakamura (Nobuki Iketaka 60’), Soichiro Kozuki, Toichi Suzuki. Head Coach: Yoshiro Moriyama.
R: Anthony Taylor (England); AR1: Gary Beswick (England); AR2: Adam Nunn (England); 4th: Claudia Umpierrez (Uruguay)
