Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) suffered a 2-1 defeat to Germany Women's National Team at Weserstadion in Bremen, Germany, on Tuesday 13 October (local time), ending their European tour with one win and one defeat.

Despite light rain, 26,574 spectators filled the stadium, where German flags were on display and the home side received vocal support. Japan were looking for their first victory over Germany since the FIFA Women's World Cup Germany 2011™.

YAMASHITA Ayaka started in goal, with YAMAMOTO Yuzuki, KOGA Toko, TAKAHASHI Hana and KITAGAWA Hikaru forming the back four from right to left. NAGANO Fuka anchored the midfield, with HASEGAWA Yui and HAYASHI Honoka playing further forward. FUJINO Aoba, SEIKE Kiko and TANIKAWA Momoko formed the front three.

Germany dominated possession early on, but Japan defended with discipline and took the lead in the 15th minute when Tanikawa beat a defender and fired home.

The goal brought an even louder response from the home crowd as Germany stepped up their attack. In the 28th minute, FC Bayern Munich's Linda DALLMANN equalised to make it 1-1. Germany continued to press forward, but Japan held firm to reach half-time on level terms.

Japan remained under pressure for much of the second half. CHIBA Remina and MIYAZAWA Hinata came on in the 58th minute, followed by HAMANO Maika in the 68th, as Japan looked to change the course of the game. However, they struggled to find a way through the German defence.

Yamashita produced some fine saves, but Germany took the lead in the 73rd minute through FC Bayern Munich's Klara BUHL.

Japan introduced ISHIKAWA Rion in the 82nd minute and pushed Takahashi forward in search of an equaliser. They continued to attack until the final whistle but could not find a way back into the match, falling 2-1 to finish their European tour with one win and one defeat.

Nadeshiko Japan will next face Brazil Women's National Team in two matches on 29 November and 5 December as part of MIZUHO BLUE CHALLENGE NADESHIKO 2026.

Coach and Players' Comments

KANO Michihisa, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team)
I thought we started the match positively and with a clear idea of what we wanted to do, so it was good to take the lead. We knew Germany could commit plenty of players forward, but we stayed composed, even when we were under pressure. Defensively, we showed that we could adapt to different situations, whether that meant pressing high or dropping into a mid-block or low block. However, managing the game over the full 90 minutes is still something we need to improve. Germany are a team that punish even the slightest mistake, and we need to keep working on the finer details of our game. I hope the players continue to develop at their clubs and bring what they've learnt back to the national team.

DF #13 KITAGAWA Hikaru (Everton/England)
We expected Germany to play a lot of long balls and look to get in behind us, so I was particularly conscious of that threat as a full-back. I thought we did well to deal with their approach while still playing our own football, which led to our goal. However, we need to get better at adjusting during matches when opponents do something unexpected. Facing Germany at this stage was a valuable experience, and we were able to show some of our strengths. We have our sights set firmly on winning the FIFA Women's World Cup, so we need to learn how to win matches like this.

MF #19 TANIKAWA Momoko (FC Bayern Munich/Germany)
Some of my club teammates were playing for Germany, so I was determined not to lose. For my goal, our midfielders and forwards were reading each other's movements well, and Fujino played a great ball through to me. I'm glad I was able to finish it. There are still things we need to work on, particularly how we deal with opposition centre-backs and full-backs pushing forward. If we want to become the best team in the world, we have to improve in those areas. I'm happy to have been given a leadership role on the pitch, and I want to keep communicating with my teammates and helping the team develop.

International Friendly Match

Fixture: Nadeshiko Japan vs Germany Women's National Team
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2026, 17:45 local time (0:45 JST on Wednesday 14 October)
Venue: Weserstadion, Bremen, Germany
Match information

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