Posted at 6:43 a.m., Saturday, July 7, 2007
Football: Japan shuts out Paris in World Cup opener
Associated Press
KAWASAKI, Japan — Wide receiver Koji Yoneyama scored two touchdowns in the first half today to lead Japan to a 48-0 win over France in the opening game of the American Football World Cup.Yoneyama put the two-time defending champions ahead 16-0 with a 20-yard run in the first quarter and added another touchdown in the second quarter to give Japan a comfortable 24-0 halftime lead.
"We played a strong game on offense, defense and with our special teams," said Japan coach Toshiaki Abe. "I was a little worried because we had some inexperienced players but everyone played well."
France's best scoring chance came with nine minutes left in the game. France quarterback Paul Durand carried the ball from the 5-yard line but fumbled on the goal line.
The United States, making its debut in the World Cup, will face South Korea on July 10 and take on Germany two days later in Group B.
The U.S. team is made up of players from Division I, II and III colleges and will be coached by John Mackovic, the former Kansas City Chiefs coach who has also spent many years in the college game.
All teams will play a round-robin within their group. The top team in each group will advance to the July 15 championship game.
