SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) faced the USA National Team in an international friendly on Tuesday 9 September (local time) at Lower.com Field in Columbus, Ohio.

With only two days’ rest following their match against Mexico and a three-hour time zone shift from the west to the east coast, Japan — as hinted by head coach MORIYASU Hajime in his pre-match press conference — made a complete overhaul to their starting XI. The team lined up in a 3-4-2-1 formation. OSAKO Keisuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) started in goal, with a back three comprising SEKINE Hiroki (Stade de Reims), ARAKI Hayato (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), and NAGATOMO Yuto (FC Tokyo) from right to left. The wing-backs were MOCHIZUKI Henry Heroki (FC Machida Zelvia) on the right and MAEDA Daizen (Celtic FC) on the left. In central midfield, SANO Kaishu (Mainz 05) partnered FUJITA Joel Chima (FC St. Pauli), while the attacking midfield roles were filled by ITO Junya (KRC Genk) and SUZUKI Yuito (SC Freiburg). OGAWA Koki (NEC Nijmegen) led the line as the lone striker.

Much like in the match against Mexico, Japan applied high pressing from the outset, launching quick counter-attacks upon regaining possession. However, facing an opponent employing a similar formation, Japan struggled to find the breakthrough they needed to take the lead. After the 20-minute mark, it was the hosts who began to build momentum, and in the 30th minute, they broke the deadlock.

Despite Mochizuki’s efforts to close him down, Max ARFSTEN delivered a swift cross from the left, which found Alex ZENDEJAS, who struck a left-footed volley inside the penalty area to give the home side the lead. With sufficient numbers back in defence, it was a disappointing goal for Japan to concede.

Trailing 0–1 at half-time, Japan switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation for the second half. Nagatomo, who had taken a knock in the first half, was replaced by SEKO Ayumu (Le Havre AC), who slotted in at left-back. With the USA gaining momentum after taking the lead, Japan looked to contain their attacks by adopting a compact 4-4-2 defensive block. Offensively, Maeda, now playing further up field on the left, aimed to stretch the play, supported by Seko from deeper positions.

Still unable to break down the American defence, Japan made a triple substitution in the 62nd minute to revitalise their attack. Suzuki Yuito was replaced by MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco), Maeda made way for MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC), and Fujita was substituted for KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace). However, before the substitutions could make an impact, Japan conceded a second goal.

Following a set-piece in the USA’s half, Christian PULISIC carried the ball forward on the left before delivering the final pass to Folarin BALOGUN, who found space behind Sekine and calmly slotted the ball past Osako and into the net.

Despite sustained pressure from the hosts, buoyed by a raucous home crowd, Osako produced a string of excellent saves to prevent a third goal. Nevertheless, the tide of the match could not be turned, and Japan ultimately suffered a 0–2 defeat against a USA side that had lost its previous three fixtures.

"Of course, the defeat is very disappointing. But for this squad, who I believe have a lot of potential, to face a strong team like the USA and take away valuable lessons from the experience is, I believe, a great asset for both the individuals and the team. Going forward, the key is how we turn this frustration into results. We want to grow stronger together and push ourselves to the next level."

Coach Moriyasu reflected on the significance of his relatively inexperienced squad facing the tournament hosts on their home soil, stating that the experience would serve as a stepping stone in Japan’s continued development. He reaffirmed the team's ambition to enter the World Cup with “the strongest and best possible team ever assembled in the history of Japanese football.”

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
The players showed great aggression and a strong desire to win, even in what was an extremely tough away fixture. However, we struggled to create chances and couldn’t convert the few we had. Had we scored early on, I believe we could have disrupted their rhythm and found our own footing. We lacked clarity in when and how to apply pressure. In terms of transitioning effectively between defence and attack, we failed to create proper passing lanes after regaining possession, which affected the quality of our transitions. We didn’t show enough composure or quality to play through their pressure, and that ultimately allowed them to take the initiative in the match. We opted to completely rotate the line-up from the match against Mexico, which made the situation more difficult. On top of that, I may have added to the challenge by making changes to both personnel and formation during the game. I take full responsibility for the defeat.

GK #12 OSAKO Keisuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
In the end, we conceded twice and lost, and that’s what it comes down to. I always aim to keep a clean sheet, but after conceding in the first half, it became vital not to allow a second if we were to get anything from the game. Unfortunately, we let another in, which made things even tougher. The way their attackers came at me one-on-one, with real pace and no hesitation, was quite striking. I did manage to deal with some of those situations, so I want to build on the positives. That said, I still need to become the kind of player who can make a real impact in matches like this. I’ll return to my club with a determination not to forget the level of intensity and quality that was on display today.

DF #22 SEKO Ayumu (Le Havre AC/France)
With the team looking to tighten up defensively, I came on at half-time as a left-back following our switch to a back four. We weren’t really able to put effective pressure on them in the first half, but I think we marked more closely in the second and didn’t allow them to play as freely. Though it’s still disappointing not to come away with a win. As for playing at left-back, I had trained for the role as part of our tactical preparations, but the last time I played in that position in a match was back when I was in Switzerland. So, it was a bit of a challenge, but I felt I handled the defensive side of things quite well. It was more in attack, especially when they were sitting deep, that I found it difficult to get involved in our forward play.

MF/FW #17 FUJITA Joel Chima (FC St. Pauli/Germany)
To be honest, I don’t think I was able to control the match as well as I’d hoped. We made some positional adjustments at half-time and tried to adapt as a team, but ultimately, we allowed them to dictate the game. I should have done more to control the tempo. I was given a valuable opportunity today and really wanted to make an impression, but I wasn’t able to do that, so I’m extremely disappointed. I couldn’t win the ball in key moments, so that’s something I’ll definitely need to work on when I return to Germany.

International Friendly Match

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs USA National Team
Date: Tue. 9 September, 19:37 (Wed. 10 September, 8:37 Japan time)
Venue: Lower.com Field, Columbus, USA
Match information

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