By Our Man in Jeddah
JAPAN have roared to a historic back-to-back AFC U23 Asian Cup title, dismantling a shell-shocked China 4-0 in a final that was more a “Massacre in Jeddah” than a contest.
While the scoreline told a story of Japanese dominance, the real star of the show was the breathtaking Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Sports City Stadium. Under the shimmering Saudi Arabian lights, the 27,000-capacity arena provided a cauldron of noise and heat that seemed to melt the Chinese defense from the opening whistle.
The stadium, famed for its intimidating atmosphere and proximity to the Red Sea, lived up to its reputation. From the moment the fans filled the stands in Jeddah, the air was thick with anticipation. But for China, the venue quickly turned from a stage of dreams into a house of horrors.
Japan’s Yuto Ozeki silenced the Chinese contingent just 12 minutes in, his deflected strike looping into the net and ending China’s remarkable run of clean sheets in the tournament. By the time Kosei Ogura doubled the lead eight minutes later with a rocket into the bottom corner, the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal was shaking with the cheers of the Blue Samurai faithful.
Despite a spirited attempt to find a way back, China found the Jeddah turf as unforgiving as their opponents. The second half saw Japan twist the knife:
60th Minute: Ryunosuke Sato converted a clinical penalty after a VAR check.
76th Minute: Kosei Ogura bagged his second of the night to complete the 4-0 rout.
The venue, which has seen its fair share of classic encounters, witnessed history tonight as Japan became the first team to defend their crown and lift the trophy for a record third time.
For China, it was a heartbreaking end to a “fairytale” run in Saudi Arabia.
Having reached their first-ever final in this competition, they simply ran out of steam in the Jeddah heat. Coach Antonio Puche admitted his side were “outclassed” by a Japanese team that looked right at home in the world-class Saudi facilities.
As the Japanese players hoisted the silver trophy into the Saudi night, the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium stood as a witness to a new dynasty in Asian youth football.
