Japan feels sorry it could not come through for Australia against Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, but the Socceroos' minimal win over Thailand did not help matters, firing up the Saudis who saw an opportunity they did not let go of to qualify for their first World Cup finals since 2006. Upon ...
Japan will play New Zealand in one of two October friendlies as the Blue Samurai build toward next year's World ...
Russia-bound Japan was condemned to a 1-0 defeat away to Saudi Arabia in its final World Cup qualifier on Tuesday ...
Germany roared back to its best in a 6-0 demolition of Norway, while England also closed in on World Cup qualification, albeit in contrasting fashion in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Monday. An early Marcus Rashford blunder put England on the back foot, ...
Man of the moment Yosuke Ideguchi is refusing to get carried away by his heroics against Australia, but hopes to get another chance to shine by retaining his place in the starting lineup for Japan's final World Cup qualifier away to Saudi Arabia on ...
Spain ended Italy's 11-year unbeaten run in qualifiers with a 3-0 win on Saturday and moved closer to securing a World Cup spot. The Italians hadn't lost a qualifier — World Cup or European Championship — in 56 games, since September 2006. Two first-half strikes by ...
Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo was one of the stars of Thursday's 2-0 win over Australia that sealed automatic qualification for next year's World Cup finals. And there was cause for further celebration on Saturday as the Italy-based 30-year-old revealed he is set to become a ...
Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki on Saturday warned Japan not to take its foot off the pedal when it faces Saudi Arabia away in its final qualifier for the 2018 World Cup finals. With Vahid Halilhodzic's men having already secured qualification for Russia after their ...
The United States put its hopes of an eighth straight World Cup berth in peril, giving up a pair of goals to Marco Urena in a 2-0 defeat to Costa Rica on Friday night that brought the Americans' resurgence under coach Bruce Arena to ...
Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic has urged his players to wrap up their World Cup qualifying campaign on a winning note as the team arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday ahead of its final Group B match. Japan has already booked its ticket to next year's ...
Vahid Halilhodzic lashed out at his critics Friday and said he will stay on as Japan national team coach out of loyalty, despite revealing that he has received other lucrative job offers. "This is the first time I am saying this but I have had ...
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Shinji Kagawa has pulled out of Japan's squad for its last Group B World Cup final-round qualifier away to Saudi Arabia, the Japan Football Association said Friday. Kagawa did not get any minutes in Thursday's 2-0 win over Australia in Saitama. He ...
Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda said Friday he had no complaints about being benched for Thursday's 2-0 World Cup-qualifying win over Australia, but admitted he would have considered quitting the game had it been at the finals. Young guns Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi were the ...
National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic took a swipe at his critics after guiding Japan to a place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday night, before revealing that an unspecified issue in his private life almost forced him ...
Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi scored in each half to book Japan's place at the 2018 World Cup with a 2-0 win over Australia on Thursday. Japan went into the game at Saitama Stadium knowing that it would qualify for a sixth straight World Cup ...
