On Monday 2 June, Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women’s National Team) played their second international friendly match against the Brazil Women’s National Team at Cicero de Souza Marques Stadium in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

With only two days’ rest between matches, Head Coach Nils NIELSEN made six changes to the starting line-up. YAMASHITA Ayaka (Manchester City) started in goal, with a back four consisting of TAKAHASHI Hana (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies), ISHIKAWA Rion (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies), KOGA Toko (Feyenoord), and KITAGAWA Hikaru (BK Hacken). MIURA Narumi (Washington Spirit) anchored the midfield, with MOMIKI Yuka (Leicester City) and MATSUKUBO Manaka (North Carolina Courage) positioned in front of her. Up front, FUJINO Aoba (Manchester City), TANAKA Mina (Utah Royals), and SEIKE Kiko (Brighton & Hove Albion) formed the attacking trio. TANAKA wore the captain’s armband for the match.

From the outset, Japan maintained control of the game by making quick transitions and keeping a compact defensive shape, preventing Brazil from gaining the upper hand. In attack, Seike helped set the tempo with her active runs in behind the defence. In the eighth minute, Fujino tested the keeper with a well-struck shot from distance. In the 27th minute, Tanaka broke through the defence to create a chance, and Matsukubo reacted quickly to the loose ball, striking the post with her effort. After denying Brazil’s attempts from corner kicks, Seike continued to pose a threat, getting in behind the defence again in the 29th and 31st minutes to create further chances. However, Japan fell short from scoring the opening goal, and the first half ended goalless.

At the start of the second half, Japan introduced CHIBA Remina (Eintracht Frankfurt) as left-back. It was her involvement in the attack that led to the breakthrough. Fujino broke free with a pass-and-go down the left side, then delivered a clever, out-swinging pass across the face of the goal. Seike timed her run to perfection, calmly slotting the ball into the net to put Japan in the lead.

However, Japan conceded an unfortunate equaliser in the 54th minute. A corner kick led to the ball ricocheting off Ishikawa and into the net, resulting in an own goal. Riding the momentum, Brazil increased the pressure, with YASMIM going close with a shot in the 57th minute that narrowly missed the target.

Japan responded in the 58th minute, as Seike latched onto a pass from Fujino and fired a shot, only to see it come back off the post. In the 62nd minute, Japan made a triple substitution, bringing on HAMANO Maika (Chelsea), SUGITA Hina (Portland Thorns), and UEKI Riko (West Ham United) in an effort to revitalise the attack. Chiba tried her luck with a long-range strike in the 65th minute, and in the 69th, Matsukubo had a golden opportunity following an interception by Koga Toko, but her effort was denied by a fine save from Brazil’s goalkeeper, LORENA.

Then, in the 78th minute, Japan were caught on the counter from their own corner kick, allowing Brazil’s second half substitute JHONSON to score the go-ahead goal. In the 82nd minute, YAMAMOTO Yuzuki (Nippon TV Tokyo Verdy Beleza) and MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United) were brought on as Japan pushed for an equaliser. Despite their efforts, they were unable to break down Brazil’s solid defence.

As a result, Nadeshiko Japan ended the two-match series against Brazil with back-to-back defeats. Their next fixture will be against Spain, who are currently ranked second in the world, set to take place in Madrid on 27 June.

Coach and Players' Comments

Nils NIELSEN, Head Coach of Nadeshiko Japan
I think the players put in a very strong performance. Compared to the first match, we were better prepared and able to take the initiative and play courageously. Defensively, we needed to make decisions to stop their attacks even if it meant committing a foul higher up the pitch, but overall, I was satisfied with the performances of our two centre-backs, Ishikawa Rion and Koga Toko. The link-up play between Miura Narumi, Tanaka Mina, and Matsukubo Manaka was excellent, and we responded much better as a team to win the second balls. If we can continue to perform like this, I believe we can beat Brazil next time, and we absolutely want to win the next time we face them. Right now, we’re still in the process of identifying our best squad, but we’re steadily building towards the AFC Women’s Asian Cup next year, and beyond that, the World Cup.

DF #21 ISHIKAWA Rion (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Urawa Reds Ladies)
In this match, I think we demonstrated a clear intention to apply pressure as a team, so that we would not be overwhelmed by the opposition's momentum. We also managed to win the second balls and launch counter-attacks from them. However, in the scene where we conceded, I feel we should have stopped the play with a foul before they got close to our goal or delayed the attack to give our teammates time to recover. I believe that my strengths lie in my ability to win one-on-ones, so I entered the match with the mindset that I absolutely had to win them. I think I did well in judging when to close down the opponent and when not to. Despite the support we received from so many people, it's frustrating that we couldn’t deliver a win, but I believe we showed our fighting spirit. Looking ahead to the next match, I want to focus on making quicker transitions to overwhelm the opposition.

MF #7 MIYAZAWA Hinata (Manchester United/England)
The two matches against Brazil were an extremely valuable experience. Although we need to take the result of two consecutive defeats seriously, both as a team and as individuals, I believe there were important lessons to be learned. In the first match, we were overwhelmed by Brazil's intensity, but we made adjustments in the second match and played much better. However, conceding a goal at the end remains a key area for improvement. We also need to be able to respond better to an aggressive man-to-man press from the opposition. Looking ahead, our next opponents, Spain, play a different style to Brazil, but they are clinical in front of goal and by no means an easy team to face. Regardless of how they approach the game, I want us to play with confidence, maintain possession more, and create more goal-scoring opportunities.

International Friendly Match

Date: Fri. 30 May, 21:30 (Sat. 31 May, 9:30 Japan time)
Fixture: vs Brazil Women's National Team
Venue: Neo Quimica Arena (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Date: Mon. 2 June, 20:00 (Tue. 3 June, 8:00 Japan time)
Fixture: vs Brazil Women's National Team
Venue: Cicero de Souza Marques Stadium (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Match information

JFA OFFICIAL
TOP PARTNER

JFA OFFICIAL
SUPPLIER

JFA MAJOR PARTNER

JFA NATIONAL TEAM PARTNER