Sint-Truiden wins 4-1 against Antwerp with goals from Araki and Matsuzawa

Sint-Truiden secured their first victory of the Belgian Pro League season with a 4-1 away win against Antwerp. The match featured strong performances from several Japanese players representing the club.

Ryotaro Araki scored a decisive goal in the 9th minute of the match, marking his league debut and first start for the club. Araki converted a direct volley following a blocked shot by Albnor Muya. Following his goal, Araki performed a celebration involving the letter ‘A’ and the number ‘2’, which the club clarified was a tribute to his former Kashima Antlers teammate, Koki Anzai, who is currently recovering from a serious knee injury.

Kaito Matsuzawa also contributed to the victory, scoring the third goal for Sint-Truiden shortly after being substituted into the game. Other Japanese players involved in the match included goalkeeper Leo Brian Kokubo, Shogo Taniguchi, Taiga Hata, and Shion Shinkawa. The win follows a period of recent challenges for the team in European competition.