On Tuesday 20 June, the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) faced the Peru National Team in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2023 held at Panasonic Stadium Suita in Osaka, where they scored four goals to win the match 4-1.

Following their 6-0 victory over El Salvador on Thursday, the team rotated six players while sticking with their 4-1-4-1 formation.

FURUHASHI Kyogo (Celtic FC), who scored a goal as a late substitute in the match against El Salvador, started as the lone striker, ITO Junya (Stade de Reims) as the right winger, KAMADA Daichi (Eintracht Frankfurt) as one of the centre midfielders, and ENDO Wataru (VfB Stuttgart) as the defensive midfielder. In defence, ITO Hiroki (VfB Stuttgart) was given the start as the left fullback while goalkeeper NAKAMURA Kosuke (Portimonense) made his first start in nearly three and a half years.

Peru, ranked 21st in the FIFA rankings compared to Japan's 20th, made eight changes to their starting line-up since their victory over Korea Republic on Friday.

The match started with Japan showing quick transitions between offence and defence, taking advantage of the speed of their wingers to create chances down the line. In the 10th minute, Furuhashi struck a header off of a cross sent by Ito Junya, while in the 20th minute, MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) delivered a pass to setup the shot of SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar).

Japan scored the opening goal in the 22nd minute, when Ito Hiroki received the ball from Endo and struck a shot from distance that captured the bottom corner of the net. This was the first international goal for the versatile defender.

With momentum on their side, Japan doubled the lead in the 37th minute, when Mitoma carried the ball into the box from the left side before striking a right footed shot that took a deflection off of a defender before finding the back of the net.

Before this goal, Peru had created a close opportunity in the 32nd minute, when Gianluca LAPADULA responded to a pass from Paolo GUERRERO to strike a shot, but his attempt went just wide of the target. Lapadula had another close moment in the 41st minute, when he once again received the ball from Guerrero before lifting the ball over the Japanese goalkeeper to score a goal, but this play was called offside after being reviewed by VAR.

In efforts to maintain their dominance in midfield, Japan brought on MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP) in place for HATATE Reo (Celtic FC) to start the second half, before introducing MAEDA Daizen (Celtic FC) and SOMA Yuki (Casa Pia AC) in place for Furuhashi and Sugawara in the 61st minute.

With fresh legs added to their offence, Japan scored their third goal in the 63rd minute, when Mitoma broke through the left side from a counterattack before cutting the ball across to setup the goal of Ito Junya, who calmly controlled the ball inside the box before slotting the ball into the net.

Following the introduction of DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad) in the 71st minute, Japan shifted their system to a 4-2-3-1 formation, which led to Maeda’s goal in the 75th minute, as the speedy striker capitalised on an errant pass made by the Peruvian defender.

In the 81st minute, Endo was replaced by SEKO Ayumu (Grasshopper CZ), who took over as the veteran's replacement to anchor the midfield.

Japan’s clean sheet was wiped away in the 83rd minute, when Taniguchi’s attempt to clear the ball with a header ended up inside the box, in which Christofer GONZALES responded first to fire a shot into the Japanese goal.

Despite conceding a goal, Japan continued to show great composure to close out the match. With this 4-1 victory, Japan has now won both of their matches played in June, scoring a total of 10 goals.

The SAMURAI BLUE are now scheduled to face Germany in September.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Although a number of problems arose from our March activities, I think it was fantastic that each player and staff member took the time to consider what they could do to resolve the problems, share the same idea, and work as a team. Since our opponents were down a man for the most of the first match, it is challenging to evaluate it, but Peru has roughly the same FIFA ranking as us. We gave up a goal, but the players still executed their jobs well, combining their respective strengths in both offence and defence. In light of the problems that emerged from this match, notably in the way we conceded the goal, we need to improve our common understanding as a team so that we can use our substitutions without disrupting the flow of the game. The fact that we scored four goals was the key takeaway, and I believe this was due to the players actively challenging themselves to seek out additional goals. However, we are not satisfied with the number of chances we created, and the quality of our execution, so that is something we will continue to work on.

These matches serve as a helpful reminder that Japan has a lot of talented players. It's clear how skilled these players are when you consider how well the team performed today despite being without some of the key players who competed in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and after rotating nine players from our matches in March. In that sense, it could be said that there are still many unseen players with great potential. As a coach, it is a very difficult task, but I hope to bring up as many talents as possible and get them used to competing at the international stage.

DF #2 SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands)
I was able to communicate well with Ito Hiroki, Endo and Itakura about how to balance our defence and attack based on how our opponents approached the game. We attentively observed our opponents from the start of the match and managed to play the football we intended to play, so we are satisfied with our overall performance. Defensively, there were some scenes where we allowed our opponents to deliver crosses, and I personally have a lot to reflect on, especially in the way I approached the ball early in the first half. I also felt like I could have been more involved in our attacks, so there are lots to improve on at the individual level. We had been sharing a team concept of having the fullbacks tuck into the middle during the March series, and I think I was a bit too conscious of that, so this time I tried to constantly judge when it would be most advantageous based on how the opponents were playing. While there were some good and bad plays, overall, I believe I performed better than in our matches in March.

DF #3 TANIGUCHI Shogo (Al-Rayyan SC/Qatar)
(Reflecting on the conceded goal) I was unable to clear the ball, so it was my mistake. Regardless of how much pressure I am under, it is my responsibility to get the ball out. We also need to alert each other more actively when the ball is loose. Offensively, I think we managed to move the ball very effectively, as we shifted our defence line according to the situation.

DF #21 ITO Hiroki (VfB Stuttgart/Germany)
We knew the intensity of play would be high form the start, and we were also anticipating our opponents to be dumping the ball into the space behind our defence line, so I think we were able to make good adjustments. I was matched up with a player who wasn’t that aggressive, but I am glad I was able to contain him. Mitoma made a run to create the space in the middle when I scored the goal, and I believe it was a fantastic attack. Throughout the match, I was making conscious efforts to work in tandem with Mitoma. Now that I get to enter the off-season with a good image, I will continue to improve as a player so that I can perform well in whichever position I play.

MF/FW #6 ENDO Wataru (VfB Stuttgart/Germany)
Because we knew Peru would play longballs, we made sure to set up a block in the middle of the pitch with our 4-4-2 formation and concentrated on keeping the ball out of our penalty area. We were able to efficiently generate opportunities from our counterattacks by utilising the speed of our wingers. Even though we are still searching for the right answer, it was great that everyone was on the same page in terms of what we were trying to accomplish as a team. It was also great that we were able to win the match. The competition within the team will certainly intensify with the addition of these younger players, and although we are nowhere close to being perfect, we now have a squad that can perform at the same quality no matter who is on the pitch.

MF/FW #7 MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC/England)
(Reflecting on his goal) Kamada gave me a good pass, so I was just trying to finish the play with a shot. I had trouble controlling the ball, so I feel fortunate that it went in. It was great that we were able to make the most of Endo’s ability to switch the field after gaining possession of the ball and generate lots of chances from counterattacks. I am also glad that Ito Hiroki and I were able to collaborate to create opportunities where I was able to demonstrate my dribbling skills and crosses.

MF/FW #10 DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg/Germany)
Through these two matches, I think the team's play has become more powerful. Today's goals were mostly from counterattacks, but in this day and age, even in Europe, it is rare to see a goal scored from a clear buildup, so in that sense I think it's good that the team has become more powerful. Additionally, Coach Moriyasu hears the ideas of the players and builds the team with us, taking our opinions into consideration through discussions. I believe that all of this has helped the team progress since March. (Regarding him succeeding the armband during the match) I think it was a cool move by the coach, but it was a special moment for me to be able to wear the captain's mark at Panasonic Stadium.

MF/FW #11 FURUHASHI Kyogo (Celtic FC/Scotland)
It was fun playing with players who can create chances on their own. But as a forward, I can’t just be having fun. There were many opportunities I needed to convert, and I feel like it really showed my shortcomings as a striker. Once I rest up, I will continue to improve myself so that I can be more critical in the final third.

MF/FW #14 ITO Junya (Stade de Reims/France)
I was determined to score a goal today, so I am glad I was able to do so. I sprinted towards the goal as soon as the ball got to Mitoma, and he delivered a great pass. My initial thought was to take a shot with my first touch, but the goalkeeper was in good position, so I concentrated on controlling the ball instead. Facing a South American side, we knew they would fight tenaciously for the ball, so I was committed to winning all the battles on my side. As a team, we learned our lesson from the matches played in March, and focused on laying a block in the centre, which turned out to be very effective in this match. Today, we faced a very strong opponent and the fact that we managed to score the opening goal was huge. We overwhelmed our opponents in terms of chances created, and our execution in the final third was also good, so we hope to build on the positives as we move forward.

MF/FW #19 HATATE Reo (Celtic FC/Scotland)
Playing in a 4-1-4-1 formation, part of my job was to drop back to help the team build the attacks from behind. Our opponents were pressing hard, so I focused on keeping my plays simple and making runs to allow the ball to be collected to Endo and Kamada. When I had the ball, I made conscious efforts to evade the pressure and deliver the ball upfront, which I feel like I was able to do.

Juan REYNOSO, Head Coach of Peru National Team
It is still too early to draw conclusions from today's match, as we should focus on the future expectations than the results. We will be analysing the match in the coming days, but for now, I would like to thank the players for giving their best efforts until the end. There were both positives and negatives from this match. We paid a hefty price for falling behind Japan's quick transitions, and instead of scoring to turn the score from 0-2 to 1-2, we ended up conceding the third and fourth goals, which caused significant damage and made things more difficult for us. We were able to cope better against Korea Republic’s attacks, which was more centred on vertical plays. Japan dominated us in ball possession and exploited the open space with their quick transitions. There are outcomes like these in football. I will continue to work closely with our coaching staff to improve the team.

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) vs Peru National Team
Date: Tue. 20 June 2023 18:55
Venue: Panasonic Stadium Suita
Tournament information

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