Soccer May 18, 2022
Japan has the stadium infrastructure in place to stage the event in June and July of 2023, having recently hosted rugby's global showpiece in 2019 and last year's Olympic soccer tournament.
Soccer May 17, 2022
Chinese soccer in a tailspin after 10-year shift from boom to bust
by Michael Church
The decision to relinquish the rights to next year's Asian Cup finals, which was made by China last weekend citing COVID-19 uncertainties, has left Chinese soccer facing an uncertain future.
Soccer May 15, 2022
The event, which is played every four years and features 24 national teams from across the continent, was due to be held in 10 Chinese cities from June 16 to July 16 next year.
Soccer Feb 7, 2019
Japan jumped 23 spots to No. 27 in the FIFA world rankings announced Thursday following its runner-up finish in the just-concluded Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The Samurai Blue placed in the top 30 for the first time since 2013. They ranked No. ...
Soccer | From the Spot Feb 4, 2019
Restrictions on Japan's soccer media lead to frayed relations with players
by Dan Orlowitz
In the days since Japan's 3-1 defeat to Qatar in the 2019 Asian Cup final, Japan's soccer media has had plenty of time to unload its takes, whether first, second or simply hot. But another narrative has emerged on Twitter, with players weighing in on ...
Soccer Feb 3, 2019
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu confident about future despite loss in Asian Cup final
Despite the disappointment of a surprise 3-1 loss against Qatar in the Asian Cup final on Friday, Japan saw encouraging performances from several of its emerging players in the United Arab Emirates. Manager Hajime Moriyasu, who took the reins following last summer's World Cup, overlooked ...
Soccer Feb 2, 2019
Qatar foiled Japan’s bid for a record-extending fifth Asian Cup title on Friday, winning the tournament for the first time in a 3-1 upset. Golden Boot winner and tournament MVP Almoez Ali scored an early opener before Abdelaziz Hatim added a second as Felix Sanchez’s ...
Soccer Feb 1, 2019
Welcome to our liveblog, following the action of the Asian Cup final where Japan is facing Qatar.
Soccer Jan 31, 2019
Samurai Blue boss Hajime Moriyasu urges team to give best effort in Asian Cup final
Japan must lay everything on the line against Qatar in the Asian Cup final, head coach Hajime Moriyasu said Thursday, on the eve of the tournament decider. The Samurai Blue are aiming to extend their record number of continental titles to five at Zayed Sports ...
Soccer | From the Spot Jan 31, 2019
by Dan Orlowitz
This week has provided ample opportunity for all of us who doubted Japan's ability to reach the Asian Cup final to take a long, deep drink from the fountain of hubris. Few expected Japan to defeat Iran, the heavily favored Asia No. 1 which entered ...
Soccer Jan 29, 2019
Striker Yuya Osako netted a second-half brace as Japan advanced to the Asian Cup final with a 3-0 win over Iran on Monday. The Werder Bremen forward made an emphatic return to the starting lineup at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, scoring in open play before ...
Soccer | From the Spot Jan 27, 2019
Japan-Iran semi has high stakes, little drama
by Dan Orlowitz
In the heat of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, a certain candidate promised his supporters that they would be "tired of winning." It's a sentiment that could just as easily apply to observers of the Samurai Blue after their fifth shaky one-goal win of the ...