Japan lacked a finishing touch as it settled for a scoreless draw with Cameroon on Friday in the first match of the year for manager Hajime Moriyasu's Samurai Blue. The game was not only Japan's first during a year disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic, but ...
Minamino and Kubo in all-overseas-based Japan squad for friendlies
According to the JFA, it will be the first time Japan's squad has consisted only of players who compete abroad.
Japan's men's team will play friendlies against Cameroon and Ivory Coast in the Netherlands next month, the Japan Football Association announced Wednesday. The Samurai Blue will face Cameroon at Stadion Galgenwaard in Utrecht on Oct. 9 before meeting Ivory Coast at the same ground on ...
Football Association of Thailand gives Akira Nishino a two-year contract extension
The Football Association of Thailand on Friday gave a two-year contract extension to former Samurai Blue boss Akira Nishino as dual national team manager, praising his work with both the senior men's and under-23 sides. FAT President Somyot Poompunmuang told a news conference the association ...
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 ...
Musashi Suzuki bagged his first international goal to help lead Japan to a 2-1 win over China in the EAFF E-1 Football Championship on Tuesday. The Consadole Sapporo forward opened the scoring for Hajime Moriyasu's squad of J. League players in the first half, while ...
Longtime Japan defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka hangs up his boots
Marcus Tulio Tanaka, a critical part of Japan's defense, including a stint at one FIFA World Cup, announced his decision to retire on Sunday. "Today I'm ending a 19-year career," the 38-year-old Tanaka told a Tokyo news conference. "I'm overwhelmed with feelings of gratitude." Tanaka, primarily ...
Forward Salomon Rondon scored a hat trick before halftime as Venezuela humiliated Japan 4-1 in an international friendly on Tuesday night. Winger Yeferson Soteldo added the fourth for the South Americans before the break, while Hotaru Yamaguchi pulled a late goal back for the hosts ...
Japan defeats Kyrgyzstan to stay unbeaten in World Cup qualifying
Takumi Minamino converted a first-half penalty and Genki Haraguchi doubled the lead with a free kick after the break as Japan overcame a determined Kyrgyzstan 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier on Thursday. With the victory at a chilly Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Group F leader ...
