On Monday, 1 January, the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) played in the TOYO TIRES CUP 2024 at Japan National Stadium, where they defeated the Thailand National Team 5-0 to extend their winning streak to nine matches.

Ahead of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, where they will be chasing their first Asian title in three tournaments, Japan fielded a 4-2-3-1 line-up for their first-ever national team match held at the Japan National Stadium on New Year's Day in front of 61,916 fans. SUZUKI Zion (Sint-Truidense VV) was named between the sticks with a back-line of MAIKUMA Seiya (Cerezo Osaka), FUJII Haruya (Nagoya Grampus), MACHIDA Koki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise), and MORISHITA Ryoya (Nagoya Grampus). SANO Kaishu (Kashima Antlers) and TANAKA Ao (Fortuna Dusseldorf) anchored the midfield, while ITO Junya (Stade de Reims), ITO Ryotaro (Sint-Truidense VV), and OKUNUKI Kanji (1. FC Nurnberg) covered the space behind the lone striker HOSOYA Mao (Kashiwa Reysol). Ito Ryotaro, Okunuki, and Fujii made their first international cap in this match.

With a new-look line-up that included three debutants, Japan struggled to break down a stubborn Thai defence but gradually gained momentum under the leadership of veterans Tanaka and Ito Junya, with Maikuma creating chances down the right flank.

In the 13th minute, Ito Junya linked up with Hosoya to break into the box before Ito Ryotaro struck a shot off a pass from Hosoya in the 22nd minute. Ito Junya came close to opening the scoring in the 30th minute, when the winger responded to Maikuma’s through ball, but his close-range shot was blocked by a sliding effort made by an opposing defender. Hosoya and Tanaka also struck shots in the closing minutes of the first half, but none of their attempts were able to find the back of the net.

After a scoreless first half, head coach MORIYASU Hajime introduced DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims) at the start of the second half. With a new look in offence, Japan got on the scoresheet in the 51st minute when Doan's diagonal pass found Ito Junya, whose attempted pass inside the box was deflected into the path of Tanaka, who slotted home with his right foot.

Japan doubled their lead in the 72nd minute after the introduction of MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) and MIURA Sota (Ventforet Kofu), with Nakamura scoring his fifth goal in four appearances for the national team, as the midfielder converted the rebound of Minamino’s shot.

With momentum on their side, Japan demonstrated their dominance over the Thai defence, scoring their third goal in the 74th minute through an own goal created by Hosoya's header from Doan's corner.

SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar) and KAWAMURA Takumu (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) came off the bench in the 78th minute to add more options to Japan's attack. The change paid immediate dividends as Sugawara's cross found Kawamura four minutes after coming on and the duo combined to further extend Japan's lead. It was Kawamura's first goal on his first international appearance.

The fifth goal came during additional time when Minamino attempted a pass and go with Doan on the edge of the box. Although the ball was intercepted by a Thai defender, the loose ball fell straight to Minamino's feet and the veteran midfielder calmly slotted home the ball to conclude Japan’s second half scoring spree.

In this match, Japan fielded five players who were making their debuts for the national team and out-shot Thailand 24-6 in the total number of shots taken. Japan have now won three games in a row by scoring five goals, extending their winning streak to a record nine matches, dating back to the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2023 against El Salvador in June last year.

Following the match against Thailand, the squad for the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 was also announced, with the AFC competition kicking off on 12 January. The team will take on Vietnam on Sunday, 14 January, Iraq on Friday, 19 January and Indonesia on Wednesday, 24 January in the group stage of the tournament.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
We have heard that an earthquake has struck Ishikawa Prefecture. We would like to express our sympathy to those affected. We're praying for everyone's safety and that there will be minimal damage to people's daily lives. We want to assess the situation and do what we can to help those suffering in the affected areas.

As for this match, we are grateful to the many supporters who came to the Japan National Stadium on New Year's Day to cheer us on and create an atmosphere in which the players could rise to the challenge. Thank you very much. Although we struggled to create chances against a tenacious Thai defence in the early stages of the match, the persistence and aggression of our players wore down the opponents and led to the five goals scored in the second half. We didn't have enough time to work on the tactics thoroughly, so we knew it would be a challenge to get everyone on the same page, but the players did a great job of communicating with each other in training, on and off the pitch, about what the team needed to do and how to get the best out of each other, which I think led to this win. We made some mistakes during the game, but the coaches made sure the players were aware of their individual responsibilities in both offence and defence. In the first half, the players tried to win the ball higher up the pitch, while at the same time not giving their opponents enough space to break up their pace. I really appreciate that the players showed a lot of patience and made the necessary adjustments as the game went on. Today's game showed us once again that we need to be more patient in defence and improve the overall quality of our game if we are to win the Asian Cup and beat the best in the world.

MF/FW #7 ITO Ryotaro (Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium)
I would have liked to play a bit more, to be honest, but I didn't get the result in the 45 minutes I was given, so it wasn't a good outing for me today. We didn't link up well and I was playing in a situation where I wasn't sure which position I wanted to take and which position my teammates wanted to take, so in that sense I felt we had a lot of room for improvement. As an attacking player, I think I have to concentrate on getting good results and I felt that if I don’t put up dominant performances in the Belgian league, I wouldn't be able to survive in the national team.

MF/FW #8 MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco/France)
I wanted to get a goal to start the new year off on the right foot, so I was happy to score. I didn't necessarily feel pressured by the fact that I hadn't scored in a while. We created more chances in the second half, and I knew I had a chance because they were starting to get tired defensively. I had three close chances, including the one that Nakamura scored. Knowing that we will be playing tight games in the AFC qualifiers, it is important that the substitutes make an impact on the game, so I need to be more clinical in the final third.

MF/FW #11 HOSOYA Mao (Kashiwa Reysol)
It was the first time I had played 90 minutes for the national team, so I was happy, but the most important thing was that the team won. In the first half, with the opposition pinned down, I tried to be creative to receive the ball within the limited space I had, but I think I could have created a few more chances, so I feel like I still have lots to improve in that aspect. (Reflecting on the team’s third goal) After failing to convert any of the set pieces in the first half, I was instructed during halftime to cover the near side, which turned out well in that play. Although I feel like I was able to fulfil my duty today, I am interested to see how I perform against stronger opposition, so I hope to continue to be called up to the national team.

MF/FW #13 NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims/France)
We knew our opponents were going to sit deep against us, so scoring the first goal was key in this game. With that in mind, it was great to score early in the second half, especially after the first half ended 0-0. When I scored, the ball fell right in front of me, so it was a lucky goal. Including today’s, all of my goals have come inside the penalty area, so I am always making conscious efforts to be in that position. The intensity of the French league is higher than today's opponents, so I just concentrated on playing my usual game. This is a great win before the Asian Cup, and we hope to improve even more in the time we have.

MF/FW #14 ITO Junya (Stade de Reims/France)
We had been creating chances even when our opponents were dropping deep in the first half, so this match could have been a lot easier if I had capitalised on them. Although we struggled for a while, it was great to see the substitutes get on the scoresheet in the second half. I thought there were some really good performances from the new players, and I hope they will bring more competition to the team. It is an honour to wear the captain’s band, so I was happy. We were able to get off to a good start ahead of the Asian Cup, and we will continue to prepare well for the tournament.

MF/FW #17 TANAKA Ao (Fortuna Dusseldorf/Germany)
This was a game we had to score more goals from the first half, but we should be happy with the fact that we managed to score five goals. I am always anticipating for my chance to score goals, so I was pretty calm when the deflection fell in front of me. Over 60,000 people came and created a great atmosphere, so it felt really good to win.

MF/FW #20 OKUNUKI Kanji (1. FC Nurnberg/Germany)
I feel l was more concerned about not losing possession of the ball and I wish I could have played more aggressively. I was told to stay up front, but the players who have been in the national team for a while have been doing well on the right, so I was hoping we could work together a bit better on the left as well. I had been talking with Morishita, but I should have talked to the midfielders more. How we link up has been one of our focuses, so I think I needed to communicate more with my teammates about where I want to receive the ball and how I want to link up with them, and also talk more about how we should play as a team. I felt I needed to get my teammates to know my game and receive the ball in good positions more often.

ISHII Masatada, Head Coach of Thailand National Team
It was a great experience for us to play the Japan National Team at the Japan National Stadium on New Year's Day. More supporters came than we expected, and we are very grateful for that. We were beaten badly, but our players never gave up and kept up the fight from the front, which is something I am very proud of. We watched Japan's games on TV, but when we actually saw them on the pitch, we felt the precision and speed of their play and realised the difference between them and us. We hope to make the most of this experience. We have to fight for points in the Asian Cup, so we want to review our attacking and defensive tactics over the next few days when we get back to Thailand. We saw an aggressiveness today that we haven't seen from the players in Thailand, so we want to prepare to bring that out of the players.

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Thailand National Team
Date: Mon. 1 January 2024, 14:00
Venue: Japan National Stadium (Tokyo)
Match information

JFA OFFICIAL
TOP PARTNER

JFA OFFICIAL
SUPPLIER

JFA MAJOR PARTNER

JFA NATIONAL TEAM PARTNER