Hajime Moriyasu running out of time to right Olympic ship
With just half a year to go until the Summer Olympics, Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu is running out of time and sympathy. Moriyasu, the first coach to take charge of both the Samurai Blue and Olympic squads since Philippe Troussier in 1999, has come ...
Hajime Moriyasu looking for 'tough' players to lead Japan's bid for Olympic gold
As he narrows down his squad for the 2020 Tokyo Games, men's head coach Hajime Moriyasu says he is looking for players with "mental and physical toughness" to help Japan win its first-ever Olympic soccer gold medal. In a recent interview with Kyodo News, the ...
Hwang In-beom scored the only goal as South Korea beat Japan to capture the East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship on Wednesday. The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder scored in the 28th minute as the tournament host finished with a perfect 3-0 record. After being outhustled and outplayed ...
Koki Ogawa scored a hat trick in his international debut as Japan thumped Hong Kong 5-0 in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship final round on Saturday. The 22-year-old striker staked his claim for Olympic selection as Japan easily accounted for Hong Kong, which lost 2-0 ...
A lack of ruthlessness in front of the goal proved costly for Japan's Olympic hopefuls on Sunday as they lost 2-0 to Colombia in an under-22 friendly. Headlined by senior national team regulars Takefusa Kubo and Ritsu Doan, Hajime Moriyasu's side created several scoring opportunities ...
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu named an experienced 23-man squad Wednesday for a "very tough battle" against Kyrgyzstan in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. The Samurai Blue sit atop qualifying Group F with three wins from as many matches but ...
Japan sets tone with two first-half goals in victory over Paraguay
Japan heads into its first game of World Cup qualifying next week on a high after knocking off Paraguay 2-0 Thursday in a friendly. Yuya Osako scored Japan's 23rd-minute opener and Takumi Minamino added the second seven minutes later as the hosts kept Paraguay on ...
Moriyasu relies heavily on overseas players
The Samurai Blue are coming from increasingly far away. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu's squad for Japan's Thursday friendly against Paraguay and next Tuesday's Asian joint qualifier at Myanmar in Yangon features 19 Europe-based players — the largest overseas contingent ever summoned for the side. The number ...
Japan to host Mongolia at Saitama Stadium when World Cup qualifying resumes
Japan will play its home opener in the second round of 2022 World Cup Asian qualifying against Mongolia at Saitama Stadium on Oct. 10, the Japan Football Association announced Monday. The Samurai Blue will start their Group F campaign against Myanmar in Yangon on Sept. ...
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 ...
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 ...
Shoya Nakajima breaks deadlock in 76th minute to lead Samurai Blue past Bolivia
Shoya Nakajima netted a late winner as Japan beat Bolivia 1-0 in an international friendly on Tuesday night. Hajime Moriyasu made sweeping changes to the side that lost 1-0 to Colombia last Friday, giving a start to several locally based players at Noevir StadiumKobe. But with ...
