LUANG NAMTHA, Laos (Interstat) — Namtha United delivered a stunning 4-1 victory over Young Elephant in Lao League play Sunday at Luang Namtha Provincial Stadium, defying overwhelming pregame projections.

Interstat’s simulator had predicted a 2-0 win for Young Elephant, which held a 94.30% probability to win according to its ELO system. Namtha United shattered those expectations, led by Tsukasa Shimomura’s hat trick. Shimomura opened the scoring in the 12th minute and added two second-half goals. Aphixay Thanakhanty also scored on a free kick for the visitors.

The result opens the league season with Namtha United at 1-0 and Young Elephant at 0-1.