With 132 days until their first game in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics, the U-23 Japan National Team took on the U-23 Mexico National Team in an International Friendly Match as an important touchstone for the Summer Games on 25 March. Some Japanese supporters were seen in the stands and the players were inspired even more.

Japan took a quick lead as midfielder NAKAJIMA Shoya had a middle shot from the left side and it went in the right corner of the goal as the shot hit a defender. After that, forward KUBO Yuya energetically moved around up front as he would come backward to receive the ball and try to find space behind the opponents' defenders. Kubo, cooperating with midfielders MINAMINO Takumi and TOYOKAWA Yuta, dominated the game. In the 33rd minute, midfielder ENDO Wataru, who robbed the ball in the middle, gave it to Nakajima, then he brought it forward and provided it to Kubo up front. Kubo heeled it and Minamino ran into it with a perfect timing and netted it for the second goal for Japan. The team made a goal out of a fast counter attack, which was one of their scoring patterns, in an outstanding fashion. 

Japan led the game with the 2-0 score at halftime, but they now had to be more in a defensive mode as Mexico, who came in the latter half making some personnel changes, attempted to have fast, strong attacks. In the 70th minute, a Mexico player fired a shot and it went in hitting a Japanese defender. Mexico kept playing in their pace, but Japan preserved their concentration at the defensive end and didn't allow a further goal. The game ended as it was and Japan defeated the reigning Olympic champions 2-1.

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The Japanese team will go through recovery training on the 26th to prepare for a game against porting Clube de Portugal, which will be played on the 28th.

Coach and Players' Comments

TEGURAMORI Makoto, Coach
I told our players that we would bring the inspiration that we gave back in January for one more time. What we have to show is fighting attitude and brave figure. Today, we entered the game well, being able to score first while our opponents were trying to figure out how we would play, and didn't get loose afterwards scoring another. So it was great. I think that we showcased a game in which our motivation and awareness for trying to raise our conditions even when we had some accidents worked out well.

If we had scored the third goal with a transition from defence to offence, it would've been too good of a game, but the one goal we gave up will actually shape up our our mind-set for our next game. We were able to have great training as our preparation to compete at the world stage. I felt the confidence that our players earned in the final qualifying and they fully showed their determination to get out to the world in this first step. So I'm satisfied.

Based on today's result, I believe that the opponents will come against us in serious mode in the Toulon Tournament (in May in France). We are going to receive harsher checking and marking while we are required to have more flexibility strategically, we would like to make our team that can enjoy those elements.

FW #11  KUBO Yuya (Berner Sport Club Young Boys/Switzerland)
I think we were playing our own football with the momentum in the first half, and our four players in the front were playing collectively, but in the second half, we had to play our defence longer and struggled in the front. But it was a plus that we were able to win it while we had different member and conditions. We would like to develop the qualities of our possessing and plays in front of the goals. I think that we gained confidence from the result we had in January's final qualifying, and all of us, including myself, have come to understand that it's important how we play in battling for the ball.

MF #14  TOYOKAWA Yuta (Fagiano Okayama)
All of us were sticking with having a positive result, so it's relieving that we came up with the good one. I don't know how much Mexico came against us with their core members, but the win still gave us confidence. Yet we shall not become cocky and the team have got to develop as well as each individuals in order to achieve our goal to win a medal. I was on the pitch only for the first half, but I had good feeling with my team in the first half. On the defensive side of ball especially, we were playing with good distances between ourselves from our front line through our defensive line. We need to decide how we are going to do that in the whole 90 minutes as the team. From this point on, our team is going to be narrowed down to 18 members toward the main stage. I wasn't able to promote myself because I did not score a goal. Both at the national team and club, I would like to be greedy about results more.

MF #20  IDEGUCHI Yosuke (Gamba Osaka)
Because the activity is short for us this time, I've been trying to showcase myself in that span. But in today's game, I didn't beat the opponents in terms of taking attacking chances from them and competing for second balls and competing for the ball with another player. Mexico were fast, strong and technical. I've got to really take the ball when I have a chance. Yet they weren't a team that we could never beat. So I would like to be conscious about those things, and I would like to have a stronger mind-set to earn a regular spot when I go back to my club.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.