A second-half own goal by Swedish defender Johan Mjallby earned Japan a deserved 1-1 draw in their Kirin Challenge Cup friendly at Tokyo's National Stadium on Saturday. Sweden had taken a first-half lead through the deadly finishing of English Premier League side Aston Villa's latest recruit Marcus Allback.
Japan started the game in lively fashion in front of a capacity home crowd, dominating possession and earning two corners in the early stages of the first half. Kazuyuki Toda made his presence felt in midfield, getting in some hard challenges as Japan continued to press while lacking creativity in the final third of the pitch.
"I'm satisfied with the performance as we played a good game today. The result has brought some confidence to the team, particularly as Sweden is a top team," Japan coach Philippe Troussier said. "This will give us some momentum going into the World Cup." Troussier had opted for a 3-6-1 formation as part of his ongoing experimentation ahead of the World Cup.