Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima beat New Zealand part-timers Auckland City 1-0 in the opening game of the Club World Cup today thanks to a 25-metre rocket from Toshihiro Aoyama.
The match was the first in which Fifa officially used goal-line technology although there was little opportunity to test its effectiveness in a game of few chances.
Aoyama's dipping drive in the 66th minute lit up a pedestrian encounter and sent the J-League champions into Sunday's quarter-finals where they face Egypt's Al-Ahly.
Yojiro Takahagi and Ryota Moriwaki hit the woodwork from long distance after the break as Hiroshima dominated without providing any real threat inside the box.
Dethroned European champions Chelsea and South American Libertadores Cup holders Corinthians join the seven-team competition at the semi-final stage next week.
Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our new commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies