The Kashima Antlers have agreed to transfer attacker Hiroki Abe to Barcelona, the J. League team announced Friday. The 20-year-old, who made his senior Japan debut at the recent Copa America, will join the Spanish powerhouse pending a medical. A skillful dribbler with strong attacking instincts, ...
Tourney defeats hint at Tokyo 2020 potential
In the space of nearly 24 hours, Japan's hopes at two major international tournaments were extinguished. On Monday, the Samurai Blue's Copa America campaign ended — not with a bang but with a relative whimper — following a 1-1 draw against Ecuador in Belo Horizonte, ...
Dani Alves replaces Neymar as Brazil captain for Copa America
Dani Alves will replace Neymar as the captain of the Brazilian national team in the Copa America, the country's soccer federation announced Monday. "The decision was communicated to Neymar by (coach) Tite on Saturday," Confederação Brasileira de Futebol said in a statement about the striker, ...
Samurai Blue boss Hajime Moriyasu selects squad of Olympic hopefuls for Copa America
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu on Friday named a young and inexperienced squad for the upcoming Copa America in Brazil, giving a preview of his potential lineup for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Seventeen-year-old FC Tokyo star Takefusa Kubo headlines a host of newcomers who will ...
Trio of young J. Leaguers could debut for Samurai Blue next month
Three of the J. League's youngest stars will likely receive Samurai Blue debuts and a trip to Brazil as head coach Hajime Moriyasu looks to accelerate their development. Following their omissions from Japan's squad for the upcoming FIFA U-20 World Cup, 17-year-old FC Tokyo midfielder ...
The Japanese men's national team will play an international friendly against El Salvador on June 9, the Japan Football Association announced Wednesday. Japan, ranked No. 26 in the world, will face No. 71 El Salvador for the first time. The match at Hitomebore Stadium Miyagi in ...
The Japan national men's team will host an international friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on June 5, the Japan Football Association said Friday. The friendly at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture is likely to be the Samurai Blue's last match before departing for the Copa ...
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu says building best squad for Copa America won't be easy
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said Wednesday it will be "difficult" to assemble the strongest possible squad for this summer's Copa America in Brazil, with overseas clubs under no obligation to make Japanese players available for the tournament. While the June 14 to July 7 Copa ...
Werder Bremen won't allow Yuya Osako to play for Japan at Copa America
Japan striker Yuya Osako will not be able to participate in the 2019 Copa America in Brazil later this year, his German first-division club Werder Bremen announced Tuesday. The Bundesliga side said it is not satisfied with Osako's performance due to his long-term commitments with ...
Japan has been drawn with two-time defending champion Chile, Uruguay and Ecuador in Group C for this year's Copa America in Brazil, the South American Football Confederation announced Thursday. The Samurai Blue, currently ranked 50th by FIFA, will open their campaign against No. 13 Chile ...
Japan will send a full-strength senior squad to next June's Copa America in Brazil, the Japan Football Association said Tuesday. The JFA initially considered sending an under-23 squad in preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Games, but Samurai Blue head coach Hajime Moriyasu, who also manages ...
Brazil fired Dunga as coach on Tuesday, the national soccer confederation (CBF) said, two days after his side failed to get past the group stages of the Centenary Copa America. The Brazilians drew 0-0 with Ecuador and beat Haiti 7-1 but were beaten 1-0 by ...
