ENGLAND U19 5, JAPAN U19 1
England gave the public of Manchester an exciting glimpse into the future as the under-19 national team convincingly beat Japan in an international friendly.
Manchester City’s Academy Stadium hosted the international that featured two home players in the England starting line up, central defender Tosin Adarabioyo and wide player Patrick Roberts.
It was a fascinating clash involving contrasting styles as England had three 6ft 3in players – Adarabioyo, Reece Oxford and Tammy Abraham – as the spine of their team.
Japan, by contrast, had players who were tiny by comparison, but technically gifted.
Aidy Boothroyd’s England took a ninth minute lead when Tottenham midfield player Josh Onomah wriggled free eluding several challenges before firing home from six yards.
Abraham had a penalty well saved by keeper Ryosuke Kojima low to his left after Callum Connolly was tripped.
The striker made amends for his howler within two minutes by providing the assist, a great lay off, for Roberts who gave England a 2-0 lead after 27 minutes.
England, watched by a crowd of 2,187, were stunned on the half hour when Japan halved the deficit with a fabulous header by Takumi Hasegawa from the edge of the box that went in off the underside of the bar.
The two-goal lead was restored after 33 minutes when Roberts played the ball in from the right, Lewis Cook provided as neat flick and Abraham, the Chelsea striker, made no mistake this time with a low shot.
England could conceivably have hit a fourth first-half goal when Arsenal’s Ainsley Maitland-Niles struck the crossbar with a fiercely struck angled drive.
They were denied by the woodwork for a second time after 63 minutes when Chelsea’s Isaiah Brown, who had only just been brought on, rattled the upright with a venomous shot.
It was not long before the fourth goal was netted when Taylor Moore’s long forward punt fell to centre back Takehiro Tomiyasu whose awful back pass was latched on to by Abraham who slotted home his second goal of the game to make it 4-1.
England added a fifth goal in the 90th minute when substitute Dan Crowley, of Arsenal, scored with a low shot after a scintillating solo run from deep, the perfect end to a perfect afternoon.