Japan's Ono takes Canada apart

Ono: At the heart of Japan's best moves

Japan 3-0 Canada

Japan made an excellent start to their Confederations Cup campaign with a win over Canada.

The tournament's co-hosts were in need of a tonic after being thrashed by World Cup holders France earlier in the year.

And midfielder Shinji Ono provided just that with an inspirational display, including a goal from a wonderfully-taken free-kick.

The victory leaves Japan at the top of Group B on goal difference, but they are still a long way from the semis with matches against Cameroon and Brazil to come.

  Key moments

57 mins: Shinji Ono scores with a stunning free-kick

60 mins: Akinori Nishizawa's diving header makes it two

88 mins: Hiroaki Morishima gets Japan's third

Japan controlled the ball early in the match but their passwork found it hard to penetrate a tough Canadian defence.

A 25-yard free-kick in the third minute by Hidetoshi Nakata, on leave from Italian league leaders AS Roma, went wide.

Canada's counter-attack earned them a corner in the eighth minute but Nottingham Forest midfielder Jim Brennan could not pull it close to the net.

Japan's running attack threatend Canada's goal twice in the 11th minute.

Ono found a clear angle from the left but shot over the bar.

Only seconds later, Akinori Nishizawa got the ball at the goal mouth but his shot was stopped by Canadian goalkeeper Craig Forrest.

Ono-man show

Japan kept on pressing but Canada hit back in the 29th minute when Jason DeVos headed a pass to Xausa but his close-range shot was saved by Japan's brave keeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi.

Canada sparkled with counter-attacks towards half-time.

Xausa's cross toward Paul Peschisolido at the net was cleared by Kazuyuki Toda in the 40th minute.

A minute later, DeVos headed home a grounder on a corner kick but it was swatted overhead by Kawaguchi.

But Ono set the Japanese on their way to victory with a 57th minute freekick from the edge of the area that dipped and curled into the top corner.

Morishima: Impressive performance

It was a textbook strike that showed why the 21-year-old Urawa Diamonds player is being tracked by a string of top European clubs.

Three minutes later, Nishizawa, guaranteed Japan their three points with a spectacular diving header that left Forrest with no chance.

Hiroaki Morishima slotted the ball past Forrest for Japan's third two minutes from the final whistle after being released by a defence-splitting pass from the irrepressible Ono.

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Japan: Kawaguchi, Uemura, Morioka, Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata, Morishima, Nishizawa, Ito, Koji Nakata, Toda, Ono. Subs: Matsuda, Hattori, Miura, Nakayama, Narazaki, Yamashita, Fujita, Myojin, Kubo, Hato, Suzuki, Tsuzuki.

Canada: Forrest, Watson, De Vos, Bent, Stalteri, Xausa, Brennan, Fletcher, Imhof, Peschisolido, Mckenna. Subs: Clarke, Menezes, Dasovic, Corazzin, Onstad, Hastings, Kusch, De Rosario, Nsaliwa, Bircham, Franks.

Referee: Simon Micallef (Australia)