Soccer Jun 15, 2022
The Samurai Blue, 23rd in the FIFA rankings, wasted several first-half chances before conceding twice from defensive errors by captain Maya Yoshida against the 35th-ranked North Africans.
Soccer Jun 8, 2016
Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic ripped into his players and accused them of not being nasty enough after their lack of a mean streak was laid bare in Tuesday night's 2-1 Kirin Cup final defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Hiroshi Kiyotake gave Japan a 28th-minute lead, ...
Soccer Jun 7, 2016
Duric propels Bosnia-Herzegovina past Japan in Kirin Cup final
Japan's 11-match unbeaten streak came to an end in its last warm-up for the final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup on Tuesday night, Vahid Halilhodzic's men going down 2-1 to Bosnia-Herzegovina in the four-nation Kirin Cup final. Hiroshi Kiyotake put Japan ...
Soccer Jun 7, 2016
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Christian Eriksen scored a second-half hat trick as Denmark thrashed Bulgaria 4-0 to take third place at the four-nation Kirin Cup on Tuesday. Morten Rasmussen opened the scoring late in the first half and Eriksen struck in the 72nd and 74th minutes ...
Soccer Jun 6, 2016
Japan forward Shinji Okazaki believes Leicester City strike-partner Jamie Vardy would make a seamless transition at Arsenal if he joins the Gunners just weeks after helping the Foxes complete a fairy-tale run to their first Premier League title. Vardy, who scored 24 goals last season, ...
Soccer Jun 5, 2016
Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic insists there will be no room for sentiment when the Samurai Blue take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final of the four-nation Kirin Cup on Tuesday night. The 63-year-old Halilhodzic, who holds Bosnian and French nationality, rejected the offer of ...
Soccer Jun 3, 2016
Japan erupted for four first-half goals including a brace by Shinji Kagawa to slaughter Bulgaria 7-2 in the Kirin Cup on Friday. Japan’s other Shinji, Okazaki of Leicester City, needed only four minutes to open the scoring and move within one of 50 goals for ...
Soccer Jun 3, 2016
Ten-man Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated Denmark 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in 90 minutes in a Kirin Cup match on Friday. Captain Haris Medunjanin converted the winning penalty for Bosnia, which was driven by a Milan Duric double and will play the Japan-Bulgaria winner on ...
Soccer Jun 2, 2016
Okazaki inspired by Leicester City teammate Vardy's scoring prowess
Shinji Okazaki made his 100th appearance for Japan in March, and now he's chasing his 50th international goal, which the Leicester City forward is two shy of. And Okazaki has learned about the art of goalscoring from none other than his Leicester teammate and strike ...
Soccer Jun 1, 2016
Japan forward Keisuke Honda will miss Friday's Kirin Cup game against Bulgaria with a left-knee injury and could also be out for the second match next week, coach Vahid Halilhodzic said Wednesday. Halilhodzic made it clear he is not taking any risks with the AC ...
Soccer May 30, 2016
AC Milan's Keisuke Honda was held out of Japan training on Monday for the Kirin Cup with discomfort in his left knee and is now day-to-day for the four-team tournament. The 25-man squad assembled in full for the first time on Monday for the Kirin ...
Soccer May 26, 2016
Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic picked Leicester City striker Shinji Okazaki in a 25-man squad for the upcoming Kirin Cup on Thursday. First-team regulars Shinji Kagawa of Dortmund and AC Milan's Keisuke Honda were also selected, while there were first call-ups for Kawasaki Frontale's under-23 international ...