On Sunday 17 November, the U-22 Japan National Team faced the U-22 Colombia National Team in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2019 at EDION Stadium Hiroshima. Despite keeping a clean sheet in the first half, the team conceded two goals in the second half to lose the match 0-2.

In their first friendly match played in Japan, coach MORIYASU Hajime started OSAKO Keisuke (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) in goal with a defence line of IWATA Tomoki (Oita Trinita), TATSUTA Yugo (Shimizu S-Pulse), and ITAKURA Kou (FC Groningen). While TANAKA Shunta (Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences) and NAKAYAMA Yuta (PEC Zwolle) played as defensive midfielders, SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar) and SUGA Daiki (Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo) were placed in the flanks. DOAN Ritsu (PSV Eindhoven) and KUBO Takefusa (RCD Mallorca) were positioned as the attacking midfielders with UEDA Ayase (Kashima Antlers) as the lone striker.

The match started with Colombia taking the initiative, as coach Moriyasu later reflected, “With this being a match we had to win, our players were feeling the pressure. We looked stiff in the early minutes and allowed the opponents to take control of the match.”.....

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