Samurai Blue rout Mongolia 6-0 in 2022 World Cup qualifier
In the sumo ring, wrestlers from Mongolia rule the roost against their Japanese opponents. On the soccer pitch, Japan is clearly still king. Takumi Minamino scored in his third straight match, veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo netted his first international goal in 10 years and Junya Ito ...
Japan opens World Cup qualifying with 2-0 away win against Myanmar
Shoya Nakajima's and Takumi Minamino's first-half goals led Japan to a 2-0 win away over Myanmar as the Samurai Blue opened their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign with a victory. Japan picked apart the Myanmar defense early and often, slowed nearly as much by Thuwanna ...
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. ...
Japan grouped with Myanmar, Mongolia for 2022 World Cup qualifiers
Japan will face Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Myanmar and Mongolia in the second round of 2022 World Cup Asian qualifying after being drawn in Group F on Wednesday. The draw at the Asian Football Confederation's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur saw the 34 top-ranked sides in Asia, along ...
Former Japan manager Akira Nishino named head coach of Thailand's national, U-23 teams
Akira Nishino, who guided Japan to the last 16 at the 2018 World Cup, was officially named head coach Wednesday of the Thailand national and under-23 men's teams. The 64-year-old will lead the War Elephants in the upcoming 2022 World Cup Asian qualifiers, as well ...
Belgium-bound Samurai Blue goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt prepares to dive into deep end
When goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt lines up between the posts on Saturday night, he will be wearing Vegalta Sendai's crest for the last time. The 27-year-old's next stop will be Europe after agreeing on a full transfer to Belgium's Sint-Truiden earlier this month. While he's far from ...
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, ...
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 ...
