Hong Kong’s rocket man brought crashing back to earth by Japan, but boosted by late goal

After the “rocket ride” of his first year at Chinese Super League giants Shanghai Shenhua, Shinichi Chan was brought crashing back to earth by Japan on Tuesday.

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Chan, who was born in Japan but has grown into Hong Kong’s most accomplished player at the age of 22, was as culpable as any of his teammates in going 5-0 behind after 26 minutes.

The left-back, however, said a more competitive second-half display had laid the platform for another formidable test on Friday, against East Asian Football Championship hosts South Korea.

Matt Orr netted a consolation before Japan completed the 6-1 rout deep into stoppage time.

“It takes some courage to come out and fight knowing the game has gone,” Chan said. “At half-time, we set some small targets: to score against a better side and to not concede again.

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“We almost achieved both objectives. It’s a good match for us to know where we need to improve and how to prepare for these games in future. The result was disappointing, but it reflected the difference between us and the top Asian teams.”

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