Japan Soccer
Xerox Super Cup
Gamba Osaka have won the 2007 Xerox Super Cup, comprehensively outclassing Urawa Reds 4-0, in front of 35,307 fans at the National Stadium in Tokyo.
Brazilian Magno Alves was the star for Gamba, netting a scrappy hat-trick as new signing Bare looked on from the bench.
The Osakans completely dominated this match, but it was not until the thirty-first minute that they opened the scoring, when Alves converted the rebound from Yasuhito Endo's blocked shot.
Midfielder Takahiro Futagawa then smashed home from the edge of the area, to double Gamba's advantage just before the break.
Missing several stars through injury, including 2006 J-League MVP Marcus Tulio Tanaka, as well as Satoshi Horinouchi, Makoto Hasebe and Takahito Soma, Urawa were second-best throughout this match.
Magno Alves scored his second after sixty-seven minutes, finishing from a tight angle to put the game beyond Urawa's reach. He completed his hat-trick after eighty-five minutes, before receiving a standing ovation from the Gamba faithful when substituted a minute later.
The result avenged Gamba's loss to Urawa in the 2006 Xerox Super Cup, which the Reds won 3-1. It was Gamba's first victory over Urawa since November 12, 2005, when Gamba beat the Reds 2-1, en route to claiming the 2005 J-League crown.
Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com
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