“I’m glad we won, but I don’t think we were at 100% against Saudi Arabia,” said Ozu, who opened Japan’s scoring with the first kick of the match.

“It was a tough battle, but I was pleased to see that we were much calmer than in our first game. We followed the coach’s plan well and had several great moments.”

The heavy defeat dealt a blow to Saudi Arabia’s hopes of advancing past the group stage for the first time, and head coach Gustavo Henrique admitted his side was outplayed by Japan’s technical superiority.

“We all know the quality of the Japanese team,” said Henrique. “They are among the top favourites and have extensive experience at both the continental and global levels. I think we tried to stick to our game plan but fell short of matching Japan’s standards.”

Saudi Arabia must now defeat Iraq on Monday to keep their hopes alive while Japan will focus on ending the group stage with a perfect record by defeating China PR. 

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena (Pattaya)

Kick-off: Monday, 15:30 (UTC+7)

Venue: Jomtien Beach Arena (Pattaya)

Kick-off: Monday, 18:30 (UTC+7)