Hiroki Sakai struck his first senior international goal before conceding a penalty Friday night as Japan drew 1-1 with Venezuela but stayed unbeaten under head coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Having arrived at Oita Bank Dome less than 45 minutes before kickoff after their bus was stuck in a traffic jam, the Samurai Blue struggled to find their groove early against the South Americans.

But after some nervous moments, the hosts seemed to have the Kirin Challenge Cup friendly under control from midway through the first half.