Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo pulled off an incredible 8-0 victory over Shimizu S-Pulse in their J.League match on Saturday, with Thai national team star Chanathip Songkrasin and former Thai League striker Jay Bothroyd at the heart of the impressive win.
Chanathip, who finished the game with two goals and two assists, opened the scoring in the 9th minute. The diminutive attacker did well to bring the ball down and ghost past a defender before his shot ricocheted off a pair of Shimizu defenders on its way into the net.
The side doubled their lead when another former Muangthong United man, English striker Jay Bothroyd, headed in Daiki Suga’s cross in the 24th minute.
Ryosuke Shindo scored the side’s third four minutes after half time from a corner before Musashi Suzuki put the game well beyond doubt with a powerful effort from the edge of the box three minutes before the hour mark.
However, the Islanders were still far from done, as Chanathip set up a further two goals for Jay Bothroyd in the 74th and 79th minutes as the former Cardiff City and Queens Park Rangers man completed his hattrick.
Set-piece taking center back Akito Fukumori added a seventh in the 84th minute, with an incredibly well-placed shot which cannoned in off the bar.
Chanathip then completed the rout, getting on the end of a cutback from Yuto Iwasaki to fire a first-time effort beyond Yohei Nishibe and into the roof of the net.
The immense victory sees Consadole Sapporo climbed to sixth in the table on 35 points after 23 games.
Elsewhere, Thai left-back Theerathon Bunmathan continued his run of games for Yokohama F. Marios, while Thitipan Puangchan earned another start for Oita Trinita in their game against Kashima Antlers.