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- Japan vs. the United States: Director Moriyasu (left) with a stern expression on front of the bench in the second half (cinema, Ko Kenta)
The Japanese national team (17th in the FIFA rankings) lost 0-2 to the US national team (15th in the FIFA rankings).
Despite creating opportunities, Japan conceded a goal in the 30th minute of the first half and the 20th minute of the second half. After that, goalkeeper Osako Keisuke made consecutive fine saves, preventing additional goals, but they were unable to score in the away spot where the FIFA World Cup (World Cup) North and Central America Tournament will be held in 2016.
After the match, manager Moriyasu Kazukazu (57) commented, “I am very disappointed that we were unable to show the victory to those who supported us and that we were unable to deliver goals.”
In this match, he entered the match with a three-back formation, and in the second half he fought as a four-back formation. Regarding the challenge of being a four-backer, the manager said, “If the opponent can get three backs, it will be difficult to deal with when there is a wide range of issues, so we have to make corrections. However, I think we can put pressure on the defense by creating a numerical advantage in the center, and by organizing the defensive aspects properly, so I think we can further improve our strength if we use both.”
He also mentioned the offensive side, which ended without a score, following the match against Mexico on the 6th. “From here onwards, I think we need to improve the quality of our world battles, so we will work hard as a team to improve our attack quality and score points,” he said, vowing to level up for the World Cup.
