"Anyone can be beaten."
The Japan national soccer team defeated England 1-0 in a friendly at Wembley Stadium in London on the 1st (Korean time). In their final A match before the announcement of the final roster for the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup, Japan extended its run to five consecutive wins in friendlies.
The winning goal came in the 23rd minute of the first half. Japan won the ball near the halfway line and immediately launched a counterattack. Keito Nakamura, who cut into the left flank, passed to Kaoru Mitoma, who was surging into the center, and Mitoma finished with a right-footed shot. It was a quick, sharp strike typical of Japan, finished before the England defense could organize.
Japan did not retreat after taking the lead. In the 41st minute of the first half, Ayase Ueda's shot rattled the crossbar, and in the 5th minute of the second half, Ritsu Doan tested for a second goal with a powerful shot. Japan was actually closer to a second goal.
England, by contrast, looked frustrated. They had high possession, but the attack was monotonous. The experiment of placing Phil Foden at the very front and the gamble of making four substitutions at once in the 14th minute of the second half did not work. In the late stages of the second half there were successive shots from Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen and a header from Harry Maguire, but Japan held on.
In goal was Zion Suzuki, and in the 38th minute of the second half Yukinari Sugawara cleared Maguire's header right on the goal line. It was a moment when Wembley's England fans fell silent.
After the match, Tokyo Sports said "Mitoma dispossessed the ball, drove forward himself, and then scored the goal," and assessed that "Japan's characteristic counterattacking soccer worked perfectly."
According to reports, Japan national team coach Hajime Moriyasu emphasized after the match, "The players fought tenaciously and patiently. They gained confidence that they can beat any team."
[OSEN]