Reigning J. League player of the year Hisato Sato lit up the Xerox Super Cup with a spectacular goal to give league champions Sanfrecce Hiroshima a 1-0 win over Emperor's Cup holders Kashiwa Reysol in the 2013 season curtain-raiser on Saturday.
Sato, who led the J. League with 22 goals last season as Hiroshima claimed its first-ever title, connected with a sweet left-foot volley that flew past Kashiwa goalkeeper Takanori Sugeno and in off the post in the 29th minute, giving Sanfrecce the trophy at the end of an otherwise uneventful game at National Stadium.
"We have been working hard at our training camp, and it was good to see it all come together today," said Sato. "For the goal, (Hiroki) Mizumoto headed it on and I was in a good position to try the volley. We work on combinations like that in training.