Japan left Wembley with a 1-0 win over England, the first time the hosts have ever lost to this opponent, and it arrived just five days after Thomas Tuchel took his squad into camp to fine tune for Croatia. Hajime Moriyasu, calm on the touchline, watched his compact shape absorb pressure and convert the one clear opening that mattered.
The decisive moment came in the 23rd minute when Keito Nakamura fed Kaoru Mitoma and the Brighton forward slipped the ball past Jordan Pickford. England dominated possession but never took control of the scoreboard again.
Moriyasu’s plan prioritised discipline on both flanks. Hiroki Ito and Tsuyoshi Watanabe held their ground, Ritsu Doan and Junya Ito doubled up, and Kaishu Sano shielded the back four. Zion Suzuki backed them with three saves, including a late stop from Marcus Rashford, while Shogo Taniguchi blocked everything in front of him.
Tuchel’s selection skewed young on the left with Nico O’Reilly, Morgan Rogers, and Anthony Gordon trying to combine. England produced 19 shots, 15 inside the box, yet only four forced Suzuki into action. Elliot Anderson attempted 117 passes and Kobbie Mainoo won six of eight duels, but the ball circulation never shifted Japan’s spacing.
Four England changes arrived in the 59th minute: Lewis Hall, Valentino Livramento, Jarrod Bowen, and Dominic Solanke for O’Reilly, Ben White, Cole Palmer, and Phil Foden. The idea was to accelerate down the wings, yet Japan’s wide rotations held. Moriyasu countered on 66 minutes with Ayumu Seko and Koki Ogawa, then removed Mitoma and Doan in the 71st minute to secure the result. The closing stretch became a rearguard: Yukinari Sugawara, Yuito Suzuki, and Shuto Machino all entered on 80 minutes to add fresh legs.
Harry Maguire and Dan Burn arrived in the 83rd minute to target high balls, but Taniguchi won the aerials and Suzuki claimed the crosses. Watanabe picked up a yellow card at 90+2 minutes for delaying a restart, and Ogawa followed at 90+3 minutes for a foul as England’s frustration grew.
Key numbers
- Possession: England 70 percent, Japan 30 percent
- Shots: England 19 (4 on target), Japan 7 (2 on target)
- Corners: England 11, Japan 1
- Passes completed: England 641 out of 711 (90 percent), Japan 256 out of 317 (81 percent)
England now move toward their World Cup opener against Croatia with sharper questions about balance on the flanks and the lack of incision without Harry Kane. Expect Tuchel to review the wide combinations before naming his next squad. Japan can build on this landmark win when Asian qualifying resumes, Moriyasu encouraged that his second string can execute the game plan with this level of precision.
