SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) came from behind to defeat the Venezuela National Team 2-1 in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2026 at Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima on Monday 28 September, with UEDA Ayase (LOSC Lille) scoring both goals.

Head Coach MORIYASU Hajime had indicated at his official press conference the previous day that he intended to give opportunities to a number of new players, and he followed through by making 10 changes to the side that started against Uruguay four days earlier. SEKO Ayumu (Le Havre AC) was the only player retained, while SAITO Shunsuke (KVC Westerlo), NAKANO Shuto (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), KUMASAKA Koki (Kashiwa Reysol) and goalkeeper KOKUBO Leo Brian (Sint-Truidense VV) all made their senior international debuts.

Japan's plans were disrupted early when Kumasaka was forced off through injury, with TANAKA Satoshi (FC Schalke 04) coming on in the eighth minute. Despite the early change, Japan looked to build attacks down both flanks, with Nakano combining with SATO Ryunosuke (Valencia CF) on the right and SOMA Yuki (FC Machida Zelvia) linking up with Saito on the left.

With the new-look side still finding its rhythm, however, Japan found it difficult to play through Venezuela's aggressive pressure in the pouring rain.

The hosts began to find openings as the first half progressed. In the 32nd minute, Soma received the ball from KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace FC) and tried his luck at goal. Soon afterwards, Saito latched onto a backheel from GOTO Keisuke (SC Freiburg) and fired from the left side of the penalty area. Two minutes later, Goto ran onto a through ball from Tanaka and, with the goalkeeper rushing out to meet him, tried to guide a left-footed effort towards the far corner, but was unable to find the target.

Venezuela had switched from their usual back four to a three-man defence for the match and looked to use Jon ARAMBURU and Luis BALBO to provide width. Their best spell of the half came just before the break, when they threatened from two successive corners. Christian MAKOUN met the first with his head and Bryan CASTILLO did the same from the second, but Kokubo and Seko kept them out to send the teams into half-time goalless.

Moriyasu made five changes at the break, bringing on Ueda, KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad), ITO Junya (KRC Genk), TANAKA Ao (Leeds United) and goalkeeper SUZUKI Zion (Aston Villa).

Venezuela, however, struck less than a minute after the restart. Balbo drove forward down the left and cut the ball back for Kevin KELSY, who finished with his left foot to give the visitors the lead.

Japan's response was immediate. The half-time changes brought greater tempo to their attacking play, and they were level just three minutes later. Ito received the ball from Soma on the left and crossed into the penalty area, where Ueda darted in behind his marker and finished with his right foot. It was Ito's second assist in as many matches.

With the momentum now on their side, Japan began to move the ball with greater fluency and push Venezuela back. Kubo cut in from the right and fired from distance in the 53rd minute, while further changes followed as Japan continued to press for a second goal. ITO Hiroki (FC Bayern Munich), DOAN Ritsu (Eintracht Frankfurt) and NAKAMURA Keito (Olympique Lyonnais) came on in the 71st minute, followed by TANIMURA Kaina (Yokohama F. Marinos) in the 80th.

Japan were then dealt another setback when WATANABE Tsuyoshi (Feyenoord) suffered a leg injury late in the match. Having already used all of their substitutions, they had to play the remainder of the game with 10 men. Moriyasu responded by switching to a back four after the 85th minute, with Ito Junya dropping to right-back and Nakamura to left-back, but Japan continued to look for a way to win the match.

The decisive moment came in second-half stoppage time. Kubo drove into the penalty area from the right and went down under a challenge, but play continued and Venezuela immediately broke forward. At the other end, Jesus RAMIREZ went down inside the Japan penalty area while competing for the ball with a defender.

The VAR intervened to review the earlier challenge on Kubo, and after an on-field review, the referee awarded Japan a penalty. Ueda calmly converted from the spot to complete the turnaround and seal a 2-1 victory.

The result gave Japan their first win over Venezuela inside 90 minutes in six meetings. Having also struck late to defeat Uruguay four days earlier, SAMURAI BLUE made it two wins from two at the start of their new campaign.

Japan will next compete in the KIRIN CUP SOCCER 2026, facing Ecuador at International Stadium Yokohama in Kanagawa on Thursday 1 October before taking on either Panama or New Zealand at Japan National Stadium in Tokyo on Monday 5 October.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
We unexpectedly found ourselves down to 10 men towards the end, but the players adapted well. They changed the system and adjusted their positions, stayed disciplined defensively while continuing to push for the win, and showed great resilience right to the end. Before the match, I told the players that we need to develop the habit of winning. Every win matters as we look to improve our FIFA ranking with the next World Cup in mind. Today, the players showed what it means to fight together as a team and keep going until the final whistle. Winning a game like this gives us confidence, and I hope our fans and supporters enjoyed it as well.

I was also very pleased with what the less experienced players showed in the first half. For them, starting against opponents who play with that kind of intensity and give you very little time or space was a valuable experience. I believe it will help them grow. They contributed well both in attack and defence, but there are still areas where they need to improve. I want them to raise the overall intensity of their play and, as they gain more experience, improve their finishing and the quality they show in decisive moments.

This was my final match in Hiroshima as head coach of the national team. I spent around 30 years of my life here, and Hiroshima helped me grow as a person, a player and a coach. I wanted to come into this match with that sense of gratitude. I would like to thank everyone for the passionate and warm support.

GK #1 SUZUKI Zion (Aston Villa/England)
We conceded almost immediately after I came on, and overall, I made too many mistakes. You have to be able to adapt to conditions like the rain, and I know I can't perform like that at this level. I need to learn from it. For the goal, I don't think my positioning was necessarily wrong, but in the end they managed to exploit the space outside our defensive line. I need to work on how I position myself in relation to the defenders. We had made several changes, and it was right at the start of the second half, so perhaps we weren't quite on the same page. We can't allow situations like that to happen.

MF/FW #2 NAKANO Shuto (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
It was great to make my Japan debut at the stadium where I normally play. I really enjoyed it. On the right, we'd been communicating a lot about how we wanted to play depending on what the opposition did, and I think we were able to put together some good combinations. I've never taken the traditional route to the national team. I feel I've got this far by continuing to work hard. Today's game also showed me areas I still need to improve, and I want to keep working on them and continue to grow.

MF/FW #6 TANAKA Satoshi (FC Schalke 04/Germany)
I had to come on unexpectedly early, but I just told myself not to be intimidated and to keep taking things on, even if I made mistakes. I did feel at times that I wasn't quite at the same level as the players around me, but I was also really happy to be out there playing, and I'm sure the experience will help me in the future. I gave the ball away a few times in the build-up, and there were other situations where I could have moved the ball forward more smoothly. That's something I'll probably always have to keep working on. I wasn't able to show my strengths defensively either, so the game made me realise that I still have a lot of work to do in every area.

MF/FW #7 SOMA Yuki (FC Machida Zelvia)
We had prepared for them to play with a back four, but they switched to a back three and rotated into a four, which made it more difficult for us to press high in the first half. Even so, there were a few occasions when our mid-block worked well, and we were able to win the ball back. Wing-back isn't my usual position, but I thought I was able to show some of my strengths when taking players on. I had a couple of chances as well, including the free-kick and another when I got in behind, and those are chances I have to take. I'm not going to dwell on them. I'll score the next one. Especially in the first half, I wanted the players who were new to the team to feel comfortable expressing themselves, so I kept telling them to play to their strengths. I tried to do the same myself and be positive whenever I had the chance.

MF/FW #14 ITO Junya (KRC Genk/Belgium)
Watching from the bench in the first half, I felt there was space in the areas behind their midfield. I was told I'd be playing as the left-sided attacking midfielder, so I went on looking to get on the ball in those spaces. We conceded less than a minute into the second half, which made it a difficult start, but it was good that we were able to respond so quickly. I don't think we played badly in the first half, but after the break we had more one-touch combinations and were able to play at a higher tempo. As for the penalty at the end, I was just relieved that the earlier foul had been on our player.

MF/FW #18 UEDA Ayase (LOSC Lille/France)
Watching the first half, I felt there wasn't much space for us to build from deep, so when I came on I focused on pushing their defensive line back and positioning myself in a way that would create more room for Kubo and Ito to play. For the first goal, when Ito and I made eye contact, I hadn't actually started making my run yet. I changed my movement at the last moment to catch the defender off guard, but Junya still spotted it and found me with the pass. The quality and pace of the cross were incredible. It was just a brilliant pass. I don't think I could have played that ball myself.

MF/FW #20 KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad/Spain)
The two teams were playing with matching formations, and it was a very even game, so I was thinking about how I wanted to play when I came on. We'd just talked about making sure we didn't concede, and then they scored almost immediately, which made things difficult. But we responded well, equalised quickly and gradually started to take control of the game. There were a few unexpected situations towards the end, but I'm glad we found a way to win. It ended up resulting in a penalty, but before that I'd carried the ball forward because I wanted to go for the goal, and that's when my foot was stepped on. We were down to 10 men, and that's a situation we could find ourselves in during a tournament. If you think about the possibility of the game going into extra time, I think it's important to take the opportunity to go for the goal when it's there.

Oswaldo VIZCARRONDO, Head Coach of Venezuela National Team
Our game plan was to win the ball back, use our wing-backs to get forward and then look for our two tall forwards, who are strong in the air. We approached the match with a clear idea of how we wanted to play. We scored right at the start of the second half, but Japan equalised soon afterwards and created a number of chances from there. Even so, we continued to look for opportunities to attack the space out wide. At the end, I thought we were going to be awarded a penalty, so I was very surprised when the decision went the other way and Japan were given one instead. But there is nothing we can do about that. I'm very pleased to have had the opportunity to play here in Japan, a country with such a wonderful football culture.

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Venezuela National Team
Date: Mon. 28 September, 19:25
Venue: Edion Peace Wing Hiroshima, Hiroshima
Match information

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