On Thursday 15 June, the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) faced the El Salvador National Team in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2023 held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi, where they scored six goals to record their first victory since the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

As Head Coach MORIYASU Hajime mentioned, “We want to make tactical challenges while aiming for victory,” during the press conference held the day before, the team displayed a new look with their 4-1-4-1 formation to start the match.

OSAKO Keisuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) was given the start in goal with ITAKURA Kou (Borussia MG) and TANIGUCHI Shogo (Al-Rayyan SC) playing as the two centre halves in front of him. SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar) and MORISHITA Ryoya (Nagoya Grampus) were named as the two fullbacks, with the latter making his senior squad debut. MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP) anchored the midfield with DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and HATATE Reo (Celtic FC) playing in the centre. KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad) and MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) were positioned in the flanks with UEDA Ayase (Cercle Brugge KSV) serving as the lone striker.

The match started with Japan taking the lead in the first minute, when Taniguchi converted a free kick delivered by Kubo from the left side. Shortly afterwards, in the fourth minute, Ueda converted a penalty kick he earned himself to double the lead. Taniguchi and Ueda each scored their first international goal, which came in their 17th and 15th match, respectively.

El Salvador’s Ronald RODRIGUEZ was shown a red card for this play, which left his side with 10 men for the remainder of the match.

With a numerical advantage, Japan dictated the pace of the match to create variety of opportunities. In the 25th minute, Mitoma intercepted the ball inside the opposing box before setting up the shot of Kubo, who superbly slotted the ball into the far corner to make it 3-0.

El Salvador, who are preparing ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, scheduled later this month, created chances through set pieces, but couldn’t quite find ways to get the ball past the Japanese goalkeeper Osako.

In the 44th minute, a long feed from Osako was controlled by Ueda, who laid a pass to Mitoma in the left side. The winger carried the ball inside before striking a shot that ricocheted off the goalkeeper, in which Doan responded to tap it across the goal line.

After securing a 4-0 advantage at halftime, coach Moriyasu brought on SOMA Yuki (Casa Pia AC) and NAKAMURA Keito (LASK) to replace Sugawara and Mitoma, respectively.

At the beginning of the second half, Ueda responded to a deflection of a shot taken by Doan to send the ball into the net, but the play was called offside after being reviewed by VAR. However, in the 60th minute, Kubo showcased a superb individual effort to assist the goal of Nakamura, who marked his first international goal in his second cap with the senior squad.

Holding a commanding lead, coach Moriyasu introduced KAWABE Hayao (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), FURUHASHI Kyogo (Celtic FC), and ASANO Takuma (VfL Bochum) in the 65th minute, which led to the 73rd minute goal scored by Furuhashi, who converted the cross of Soma to further extend the Japanese lead.

ITO Atsuki (Urawa Red Diamonds), who was a late callup and joined the team just the night before, entered the match in the 76th minute to replace Morita in the defensive midfield position.

Despite seeing Itakura and Soma’s shots being denied by the goalkeeper and the woodwork in the closing minutes of the match, Japan recorded 20 shots against El Salvador’s four shots in this match, scoring six goals to secure their first victory since the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

The SAMURAI BLUE will now face the Peru National Team at Panasonic Stadium Suita on Tuesday 20 June.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
I think it was excellent that the entire team—players, coaches, and staff—really thought of the best possible preparations for this match in light of their observations from March. Although there was a disparity in strength between the two teams and we also had the advantage in numbers, I believe our players' aggression and drive to score goals helped us seize control of the game.
We were ready to overwhelm our opponents, and the players played well from the start. Although it is difficult to evaluate this match because one of our opponents was sent off in the first few minutes, we were dominating the 50/50 chances, showing our desire to score goals, and making effective off-the-ball movements to generate several opportunities. The players demonstrated exactly what we had prepared for in terms of how we moved the ball and created opportunities in the attacking third, so I believe we would have performed the same even if they had 11 men.
Learning from our experience in March, we tried to move the ball more quickly down the line. By doing so, we were able to control the match while keeping possession of the ball, and ultimately improve our chances of winning. The players played with a clear understanding of what they needed to do since the coaching staff repeatedly instructed them to pass the ball down the line as soon as we gained possession.
It was great that we were able to demonstrate what we had been working on, so we hope to build on today’s performance and raise the level of our overall game. We will prepare for our next match with the confidence we gained from this one, but we will try not to rest on our laurels, because we are anticipating a much faster and more intense match against Peru. This is our second team activity ahead of the 2026 World Cup, and after failing to win in March, we are delighted to share this victory with our supporters and the entire nation.

MF/FW #7 MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC/England)
When I earned the first free kick, I assessed the situation and decided to go for it because there was an open space. It is always difficult to defend against the first set piece of a match, so I am glad we were able to capitalise on it. We also did well to take advantage of the open spaces once our opponents were down a man. (Reflecting on Doan’s goal) If it had been an opposition there, we wouldn’t have scored, so I am glad he was there. (Reflecting on his assist) I knew Kubo was there, so I just focused on passing the ball to the right spot. There are always chances after losing possession of the ball, so it was a play I was anticipating. Just looking at the result, people might think this was an easy game, but I will assure you that is not the case. It was something we created and shouldn’t be taken lightly in anyways.

MF/FW #9 UEDA Ayase (Cercle Brugge KSV/Belgium)
We entered the match with the intention of applying aggressive pressure from the start, which led to the opening goal. I feel like I should have scored a lot earlier because I had so many chances prior to this, but I'm still happy that I was able to record my first international goal. (Regarding his role in the team’s third goal) We have players like Mitoma, Kubo, and Doan, who can create chances on their own, so I want to make use of my ability to hold up the ball and layoff passes in order to create time for these players.

MF/FW #10 DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg/Germany)
We had been working on how we wanted to approach the early stages of the match, which allowed us to enter the match the way we did today. Personally, I was able to work in tandem with Kubo and Mitoma, while also keeping a close distance with Ueda. I was anticipating for the deflection when I scored the goal, so I don’t consider it as a lucky goal. Once we built our lead, the players on the pitch kept on reminding each other to “challenge the things we had been working on,” and “focus on keeping a clean sheet.” Even though we scored six goals, we should ask ourselves whether we could have done the same against stronger opponents. We need to be more critical of ourselves because I'm not fully convinced that we were able to exhibit the quality we were after.

MF/FW #15 ITO Atsuki (Urawa Red Diamonds)
I was honestly very surprised when I received the callup, but it is a good feeling to know that my performance with my club has led me to this stage. I was fully prepared and knowing how the match was going, I thought I would have a chance to play. It was a bit difficult coming in as a defensive midfielder, but I just focused on keeping the balance of the team. I am really happy to have made by debut today.

MF/FW #19 HATATE Reo (Celtic FC/Scotland)
I am grateful to the coaching staff for using me in this position, but I knew that I would be worthless if I didn't live up to their expectations. Even if I was given an opportunity, there was no point in being here if I didn’t demonstrate my quality, so in that sense, although I didn't score or assist a goal, I believe I was able to make a case for myself. Doan is a player that can carry the ball himself, so I kept communicating with Morita to make myself available in the attacking third and anticipated to attack the near side. We should view this outcome positively because Ueda did his part to keep the pressure on while the rest of the team carried out their responsibilities, which is why our opponents were down a man. We don't know how the game would have turned out if we had been up against 11 men, but it was our plays that determined how the game ended up.

Hugo PEREZ, Head Coach of El Salvador National Team
The game was basically over in the first three minutes. We conceded back-to-back goals and had one of our players sent off. Japan is a team with very talented players. They are not an opponent we can compete 0-2 behind and with a numerical disadvantage. Originally we were aiming to build our offence from behind while applying high pressure. We also entered with the intention of shutting down Japan’s speedy wingers, but all of our plans went out the window once we were down 0-2. The players worked hard until the very end. Ahead of the Gold Cup, we still have one more game to play in Asia, so we hope to reset our mindset in time for that game.

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) vs El Salvador National Team
Date: Thu. 15 June 2023 19:10
Venue: Toyota Stadium, Aichi
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