Sato stunner seals Super Cup for Hiroshima

TOKYO: Striker Hizato Sato lit up a dull Japanese Super Cup with a stunning strike to give J-League champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima a 1-0 win over Emperor’s Cup holders Kashiwa Reysol in Tokyo on Saturday.
The 30-year-old forward was off balance but struck a superb 29th minute left-foot volley from just inside the penalty area in off the right post for what proved the only goal of the single-match competition at the National Stadium.
Sato, who won the Golden Boot award last year after scoring 22 goals for Hiroshima as they claimed their first J-League title, could have doubled the advantage in the second half but this time his acrobatic effort was well saved by Takanori Sugeno.
Reysol’s game improved in the second period and were twice denied an equalizer by goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa, who blocked a deflected free kick from Jorge Wagner before repelling another set piece from Leandro Domingues.
Hiroshima begin the defense of their J-League title at home to Urawa Reds on Saturday with Reysol hosting Kawasaki a day later.
Before that, Sato and Hiroshima host Uzbek side Bunyodkor in their opening Group G match in the Asian Champions League on Wednesday.