Manchester United’s Hardy Joseph with the Man-of-the-Match award.
Doha: Manchester City recovered from their defeat to Real Madrid yesterday with a deserved victory over Japanese side Kashiwa Reysol. One goal to the good at half time, City converted two late penalties to run out 3-0 winners. In a competitive contest the late drama provided the game’s main talking points.
Unable to progress any further in the knockout stage, and mindful of the grueling loss the night before, City’s Head Coach Gareth Taylor made nine changes. Opting for an attacking 3-5-3 formation, Taylor granted starting berths to highly-rated youngsters Brahim Diaz and Collins Tanor.
Registering five shots on goal in the first ten minutes, the new faces rewarded their coach’s faith with capable displays that suggest they have a positive future.
Just 14 years old, Diaz looked one of the most composed players on the pitch and tested Reysol keeper Someya early in the game with several shots on target.
The youngster then turned provider in the 31st minute when he picked out teammate Hardy Joseph with a delicate chipped pass on the edge of the Kashiwa area. Controlling the ball comfortably, Joseph produced a crafty lob that looped over Japanese keeper Taigo Someya and into the net.
Looking slightly off the pace for much of the first half, the Japanese youngsters appeared to be paying the price of playing four games in just six days at the Al Kass International Cup.
Head coach Naoki Sakai had kept faith in an almost identical starting line-up throughout the tournament, and made just one change for this game by replacing Taigo Ota with Riku Nakamura.
To their credit Kashiwa gave a far better showing in the second half and, in spells, had the best of the game, particularly after Ota was restored to the line-up on 60 minutes.
City could have added to their advantage on 77 minutes when substitute Isaac Buckley-Ricketts broke through after a skilful turn before shooting narrowly over the bar, although in truth the winger could have taken another touch before getting his shot away.
Seven minutes later and City got the second goal that their patient play deserved, albeit in a manner they might not have chosen. Charging through on 84 minutes, Buckley-Ricketts appeared to lose his footing as he went one-on-one with Someya.
Stumbling over the ball, the striker fell to the turf, and may have been surprised on getting to his feet to see that a penalty had been awarded.
To compound matters for the Japanese, Someya was shown red and replaced by Masaya Takahashi, whose first act of the match was to pick the ball out of his net after a sweetly struck spot-kick from Buckley-Ricketts.
Unusually, the substitute keeper’s second meaningful act of the match also involved picking the ball out of the net, following the granting of another penalty minutes later, with Buckley-Ricketts again making no mistake.
The spot-kick was awarded after midfielder Hardy Joseph was upended by Ryoto Sakamoto, although there was a suggestion that contact had taken place outside the area.
Manchester City will now take on FC Barcelona for 5th place in the Al Kass tournament, with Reysol playing for pride against local favourites Aspire Qatar.
The Peninsula
