Argentinian teenage wonder Sergio Escudero might not be a familiar name in the world of football yet - but he carved a niche for himself with a superb performance to help the Urawa Red Diamonds to an easy 3-0 victory in the cup final at the HKFC Philips Lighting International Sevens yesterday.
The 16-year-old Escudero was in inspiring form as he put the icing on the cake with his team's third goal against Holland's PSV Eindhoven as the Japanese outfit won the cup at the first time of asking.
Last year, Japan were represented by the Yokohama Marinos who reached the quarter-finals, but the Urawa Red Diamonds were a class apart as they displayed all the qualities that make them attractive to watch.
With an average age of about 17, the J.League team had prepared themselves well for the tournament, learning everything they could about seven-a-side and putting everything they learned into practice. Their hard work paid off in the end.
Urawa Red Diamonds also made one of the finds of the season in Escudero, who has made one senior appearance for the team in April against Albirex Niigata.
'It's been a brilliant tournament for me. I scored five goals and we have now won the cup. You can't asked for much more than that,' said Escudero, who is certain to go on to bigger and brighter things in the near future.
'I enjoy playing in this stadium. This is our first time in Hong Kong and we are now champions,' said the Japanese-speaking Argentinian.
