On a continent where "imitation" Galacticos are a dime a dozen, Takefusa Kubo could just be the real deal. Snapped up by Real Madrid on Friday from under the noses of some of the world's other top clubs, the teenage sensation is about to demonstrate ...
Poor scheduling holding back Samurai Blue
Between the U-20 World Cup, the U-22 Toulon Tournament and a Copa America which could see over a dozen Tokyo 2020-eligible players earn their first Samurai Blue caps, it's been an exciting month for Japan supporters awaiting the Olympic men's soccer tournament. The performance of ...
Kensuke Nagai brace leads Japan past El Salvador as Takefusa Kubo earns first cap
Kensuke Nagai scored his first goals for Japan on Sunday in a 2-0 friendly victory over El Salvador as 18-year-old Takefusa Kubo made his highly anticipated national team debut. Nagai, earning his first cap for Japan in four years, scored in the 19th and 41st ...
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 ...
Takefusa Kubo, 17, named to Japan's senior national squad for first time
Seventeen-year-old J. League star Takefusa Kubo on Thursday received his first call-up to Japan's senior national squad for next month's friendlies against Trinidad and Tobago and El Salvador. Kubo, an attacking midfielder for FC Tokyo, was one of three uncapped players named to the squad, ...
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 ...
Former Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic drops defamation suit against JFA
Former Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic withdrew the lawsuit he filed against the Japan Football Association over his dismissal just two months before last year's World Cup finals on Wednesday. According to Halilhodzic's lawyer, the Bosnian will not go forward with his claim that the JFA ...
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 ...
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 ...
Colombia defeats Japan on Radamel Falcao penalty in second half
Radamel Falcao scored a 64th-minute penalty as Colombia got a measure of revenge on World Cup foe Japan in a 1-0 international friendly victory on Friday. In a rematch of their opening World Cup Group H match last year, the Samurai Blue started just two ...
Shinji Kagawa called up for Japan's friendlies against Colombia, Bolivia
Shinji Kagawa is set to make his return for Japan after being named Thursday to the Samurai Blue squad for the upcoming international friendlies against Colombia and Bolivia. Manager Hajime Moriyasu included the veteran midfielder in his 23-man squad for the matches, which will serve ...
