On Friday 27 June, Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team), currently ranked seventh in the FIFA rankings, faced the second-ranked team, Spain, in an international friendly held at Butarque Stadium in Madrid.

Japan lined up in a 4-3-3 formation for this match. In goal was YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City) supported by a defence consisting of MORIYA Miyabi (Angel City FC), KUMAGAI Saki (London City Lionesses), KOGA Toko (Feyenoord), and KITAGAWA Hikaru (BK Hacken). MIURA Narumi (Washington Spirit) anchored the midfield, flanked by MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United) and MATSUKUBO Manaka (North Carolina Courage). Up front, FUJINO Aoba (Manchester City), TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals), and HAMANO Maika (Chelsea) formed the attacking trio. Kumagai wore the captain’s armband.

Spain dominated possession from the outset and dictated the tempo, but Japan responded with a compact and disciplined zonal defence. In the ninth minute, Tanaka played a through ball to Hamano, who broke down the right flank and delivered a cross for Matsukubo to meet, creating Japan’s first real opportunity. However, Japan faced an early setback in the 19th minute when Kitagawa sustained an injury, forcing them to reshuffle their formation. TAKARADA Saori (Cerezo Osaka Yanmar Ladies) took up a position in central defence while Koga shifted to left-back. Despite the disruption, Japan’s backline remained composed.

Japan broke the deadlock in the 30th minute from a play initiated by Tanaka, who intercepted a pass high up the pitch before quickly passing the ball to the right. After receiving a return pass from Hamano, she made a brilliant turn inside the box before unleashing a left-footed shot into the net to put Japan in the lead. However, Spain equalised just before half-time, in the 43rd minute, with a series of slick one-touch passes down the left side that cut through Japan’s defence, allowing Claudia PINA to level the score. The match went into half-time at 1–1.

At the start of the second half, Japan made tactical changes, introducing SUGITA Hina (Portland Thorns) and NAGANO Fuka (Liverpool FC) to reshape the midfield and regain control of the game. However, Spain, energised by their substitutions, began to pile on the pressure. In the 50th minute, Vicky LOPEZ narrowly missed the target with a shot, foreshadowing what was to come.

In the 63rd minute, TANIKAWA Momoko (Bayern Munich), MOMIKI Yuka (Leicester City), and MINAMI Moeka (AS Roma) were brought on. Moriya soon latched onto a long ball to create an opportunity but failed to find the back of the net. Spain then capitalised on an error in Japan’s build-up play in the 66th minute, with Lopez converting the goal to put the home side ahead.

Tanaka came close to equalising in the 73rd minute, but her effort was superbly saved by goalkeeper Cata COL. As the match entered its final stages, Spain added fresh legs and increased the tempo. In the 87th minute, Athenea del CASTILLO unleashed a powerful strike to seal Spain's 3–1 victory.

Coach and Players' Comments

Nils NIELSEN, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan
Spain are an exceptionally well-organised team, especially with the Euros approaching. They are not an easy team to beat, but I feel our players stuck to the plan and gave their all, despite the challenging circumstances of playing the world champions on their home turf. We did manage to hold onto the ball at times, but against such a high-calibre team, even the slightest mistake can be punished immediately, so we need to fine-tune our approach. There were moments when we managed to string passes together as we tried to improve our decision-making in attack and defence. However, we did end up playing more long balls than we would have liked. We created some good chances, but overall, I don't think we played to our full potential throughout the match. The goals we conceded could have been avoided with better decision-making. In major tournaments, we need to ensure that we deal with such situations more effectively.

GK #1 YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City/England)
There were quite a few occasions where our defensive line dropped too deep. I felt we lacked clarity in knowing when to push up, which is crucial, especially against a team like Spain who are so effective at exploiting space. That is why I kept calling out to the team, urging them to keep the line higher. Even when we had our block set, Spain were still able to deliver several high-quality crosses into space, which made it difficult to deal with. They play with a high line, so there were times when we looked to exploit the space in behind, but that requires precision in passing. For the second goal, I believe I should have read the situation and made a better decision. We didn’t get the result we wanted, but gaining the experience of playing a high-intensity match against a top-level opponent is valuable for both the team and myself.

DF #5 MORIYA Miyabi (Angel City FC/USA)
I didn’t get much playing time when I faced Spain at the World Cup and the Paris Olympics, so I didn’t get a real sense of it at the time. But after playing the full match today, I have learned what went right and which areas I need to improve. Matches played in the U.S. league is faster and more direct, with fewer short passes. Spain, on the other hand, use a lot of quick one-touch passes and intricate build-up play. This match made me realise that I need to improve my agility and shorten my reaction time. There were many long balls played into the right flank, but I think I responded quickly. I also felt that my time in the U.S. has improved my positioning and defending when dealing with balls played behind the defence. However, defending one-on-one deep in our half is an area I need to work on. Against teams like Spain, it is vital that I instinctively know how much space to allow my opponents. I’ll continue to take advantage of the competitive environment in the U.S. to strengthen my physicality and improve my contact play.

FW #11TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals/USA)
We were under pressure for long periods and allowed them too many chances. I managed to score, but I should have put away another clear opportunity as well. I felt that we could have kept more possession, particularly in the first half, and that I could have contributed more to our build-up play through midfield. The central areas weren’t congested, so if we’d used them better, we could have gained more control in the second half. I scored a goal by applying aggressive pressure from the front. Spain have an overwhelming attacking force, but they do leave gaps in defence at times, and we need to focus on exploiting those opportunities. Compared to previous matches, we were able to apply more defensive pressure this time, and that’s something we can build on.

International Friendly Match

Fixture: Nadeshiko Japan vs Spain Women's National Team
Date: Fri. 27 June 2025, 21:00 (Sat. 28 June, 4:00 Japan time)
Venue: Butarque Stadium (Madrid, Spain)
Match information

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