Japan forward Takuma Asano scored his fifth league goal of the season Saturday as Bochum eased past fellow strugglers Union Berlin 3-0 at home in the German Bundesliga.
Asano gave Bochum the lead in first-half stoppage time at Vonovia Ruhrstadion, blasting home a close-range volley after defender Bernardo’s header off a corner was blocked.
“I could see well where the keeper was and tried to hit it hard without fear,” said Asano, whose pass on a counter led to Bochum’s second in the 54th minute through Goncalo Paciencia.
A Kevin Stoger penalty gave Bochum their third in the 78th minute before Asano went off to the home fans’ applause in the closing stages of the match.
Early in the game, when visiting fans threw chocolate coins and tennis balls onto the pitch in protest, Asano was shown on television eating one of the chocolates from its gold foil wrapping.
The fans were protesting the decision by the German Football League to allow a private equity investor into the top two divisions over the next two decades.
The chocolate gave him “energy,” Asano told local reporters who peppered him with questions about it after the match.
Bochum moved up to 13th in the table after their third win this term from 15 league matches.