Japan defeated Hong Kong 39 to 16 at the Asian Games on Tuesday. The result leaves Japan top of their group with two wins from two matches. Hong Kong move up to third place after their first win and draw both came earlier in the tournament.
Japan had opened with comfortable victories over Uzbekistan and Vietnam in their first two games. They scored 43 and 40 goals in those matches respectively. Hong Kong had beaten Vietnam 26 to 23 but lost to South Korea in their opening fixtures.
The visitors dominated from the start. Their attacking pattern from the previous matches carried through with little resistance from the home side. Japan recorded 23 more goals than Hong Kong in the final tally.
Hong Kong showed flashes of competitiveness in their win against Vietnam but struggled to maintain that level. Their defensive structure appeared disjointed and Japan exploited the gaps with ease.
The result means Japan remain unbeaten and hold a two-point lead over their nearest rivals. Hong Kong now sit on three points after their first victory of the tournament, though they have played one fewer match than the teams above them in the table.
