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Hiroki Ito and Minjae Kim were in action on Sunday as they played warm-up matches ahead of the World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA. Ito’s Japan claimed a 1-0 win over Iceland, while Kim’s South Korea recorded a big 5-0 victory over Trinidad & Tobago.
Ito on early
Ito started among the substitutes in Tokyo but had to come on after only 14 minutes for Maya Yoshida. The 27-year-old defender ensured the Samurai Blue didn’t concede as they snatched a late winner through Koko Ogawa before they travel to their base camp in the USA and kick off their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands in Arlington, Texas on 14 June (22:00 CEST).
Kim keeps clean sheet
Kim also came off the bench, joining the action in the 62nd minute with South Korea already 2-0 up against the Caribbean nation in Provo, Utah. The 29-year-old centre-back kept things solid in defence as his team scored three more goals in the final half an hour. South Korea’s second and final warm-up match before the World Cup is at the same venue against El Salvador on 4 June (1:00 CEST).
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