Knowing victory would move his side into the next round, Syrian captain Omar Al Somah had an early sight of goal for the visitors, bending an attempt from distance wide of Keisuke Osako’s right post in the seventh minute.

Barely a minute later the Japanese opened up the Syrian defence, Takumi Minamino’s slide-rule pass releasing Keito Nakamura into the left channel, only for his pull-back to be thumped over the bar by Takefusa Kubo.

That, however, was to prove a warning for the Syrians as the hosts took the a 13th minute lead.

Wataru Endo started a slick move from deep inside the Japan half, feeding Minamino who, in turn, pushed the ball out to Nakamura on the left, and he sent over an inviting cross that Ueda met with a stunning header into the top corner.

Six further minutes elapsed before Moriyasu’s outfit added their second.

Kubo burst into space through the middle after Nakamura’s incisive pass from deep on the left and switched play to Doan on the right, allowing the winger to cut onto his left to pull a low shot past Esteban Glellel from the edge of the area.

Despite being two goals up the Japanese continued to press and by the 21st minute they hadextended their lead when Kubo’s attempt to release Nakamura down the right was redirected past his own goalkeeper by Krouma.

Ueda warmed Glellel’s hands with another effort on goal and Minamino was denied by Emiliano Amor’s outstretched boot as the Japanese continued to attack in relentless fashion and took a comfortable lead into the interval.

Yuki Soma, on as a substitute as Moriyasu made a series of changes after the interval, converted a penalty 17 minutes from time and Minamino stroked home his side’s fifth with five minutes remaining as the Samurai Blue marched into the next round in ominous fashion.