Kyrgyzstan stun Japan to keep Futsal World Cup dream alive

Japan, who made the second round at the previous World Cup in Thailand, will now miss the global showpiece for the first time in four editions.

Taking a two-goal lead to the break courtesy of goals from Uulu Ulanbek Baigazy and Ilias Chotbaev, Alimov extended their lead early in the second half.

Rafael Henmi pegged one back for the defending champion but with Japan committing numbers forward during a lengthy sequence of powerplays they were twice stung on the counter as Baigazy and Alimov both completed their braces.

Shota Hoshi pulled one back but Alimov rounded out his hat-trick in the final ten seconds as Japan were sensationally dumped out of the tournament.

Japan made a change in goal after their shock quarter-final elimination at the hands of Vietnam and keeper Jun Fujiwara was forced into action almost immediately from the kickoff, making a low save to his right to deny Mirlanbek Abdykadyrov.

Rafael Sakai had two good chances to open the scoring shortly thereafter as he firstly saw his powerful shot from the right well-saved by Kirill Ermolov and then sent a back-heeled shot just wide moments later.

Kyrgyzstan started to come more into the contest though with their strong pressing and quick transitions and 10th minute free-kick from Nurzhan Dzhetybaev found its way to Baigazy who managed to prod his back-post effort home despite the close attentions of Fujiwara.

The central Asian nation then stunningly doubled their lead three minutes later following another free-kick.

With a low ball whipped in across the face of goal Chotbaev poked a shot towards Fujiwara that he couldn’t control before the ball spun to the feet of the Kyrgyz attacker, who forced it home half a metre from goal to make it 2-0.

That was the way things stayed until half-time and Japan began the second term with a series of aggressive powerplays where three times in as many minutes Nobuya Osodo, in the keeper’s shirt, had fantastic chances to reduce the deficit.

After he missed openings at the front and back post, then sent another just wide, Japan were stung by a sucker-punch.

With all five players committed forward and having lost possession Alimov sent a hopeful punt towards the Japanese goal from deep within his own half that the retreating Osodo couldn’t keep out to make it 3-0 on 23 minutes.

Undeterred Japan persisted with the powerplay and were rewarded when Henmi threaded home a shot through several defenders to make it 3-1 with a quarter of an hour remaining.

Maintaining the powerplay tactic, Japan were again undone after Kyrgyzstan’s patient defending produced another mistake.

Having won possession and with no keeper home, this time it was Baigazy who launched the long-range effort that rolled into the unguarded net from 25 metres to make it 4-1 on the half hour mark.

Five minutes from time, Alimov got another goal when defending against the powerplay and late goals from Hoshi and a hat-trick effort from Alimov completed the stunning 6-2 win.