[Yongin (Korea) 12th = Nagata Jun]Japan (17th in the FIFA ranking) defeated China (94th in the 2nd place) 2-0 to make it their second consecutive win, putting the team at the top of the tournament.

With all the starting players being replaced in the first game, in the 11th minute of the first half, forward Hosoya Masahiro (23, Kashiwa) scored with his right foot to take the lead, and in the 18th minute of the second half, midfielder Mochizuki Henry Kaiki (23, Machida) scored the first goal in the national team. Hosoya, who was entrusted with the number 10 as the ace of the domestic group, took revenge in the previous tournament, which ended up not finishing goals, and proposed to become a member of the 2026 World Cup North and Central America Tournament. The final third round will be competing with its arch-rival South Korea on the 15th, the host country.

　　　◇　　　◇　　　◇

Midfielder Mochizuki, the first starting pitcher in the national team, scored his first goal. He played as a right wingback and created opportunities from the first half with aggressive rigs. In the 19th minute of the second half, a shot that came into the center from the right side and fired with his left foot hit the opposing defender and shook the net. “At first I thought I'd try to throw the ball between the goalkeeper and the defender, but when the course was cut off, I immediately thought of a cut in.” A good decision led to valuable additional points. He recalled his memorable first goal with a smile, saying, “It was a tough time, so I'm glad I got my second goal in the midst of all this. It's the best memories.”

[Japan National Team]Nagatomo Yuto plays the full game for the first time in 2 years and 7 months, wins 2-0 against China E-1 Championship/Details