Football: Izumi stunner downs Tosu as Kobe move 2 points clear in J1

Toya Izumi struck a superb winner as leaders Vissel Kobe prevailed 1-0 away to Sagan Tosu on Saturday, moving two points clear atop the J-League first division.

The rookie attacker capped his first J1 start with a maiden goal in the 22nd minute at Ekimae Real Estate Stadium, cutting in from the left and curling an unstoppable shot into the far corner from outside the box via a tiny deflection.

“I’m really happy my goal got us the win,” said the 22-year-old Izumi, who showed good control following a long diagonal ball from center-back Tetsushi Yamakawa in the buildup.

“We’ve been building good ...