The Japanese team fell 0-3 today against Tunisia and before their public in the final of the Kirin Cup friendly tournament, in which the Africans took advantage of the defensive gifts of the ‘blue samurais’, who dynamited the Japanese domain.
The Japanese team offered a disappointing image at the Panasonic Stadium in Suita (west of the country) in the last game of their summer round of preparatory friendlies for the World Cup in Qatar, where they will be drawn in the same group as Spain.
The Asians had just beaten fellow World Cup player Ghana 4-1 in the first match of the Kirin Cup and had previously lost 0-1 to Brazil and also won 4-1 against Paraguay.
The ‘blue samurais’ were clear dominators of a first half in which they caused many problems for their rival with the speed of Junya Ito and Minamino on the wings, and in which they only had a few scare from set pieces.
The Japanese had a very clear opportunity from Kamada in the 34th minute, when the brand-new Europa League champion with Eintracht Frankfurt failed with the entire goal at his disposal after Ito’s death pass, apparently when he was surprised by the bounce of the ball in a lawn soaked by the intense rain that fell in Suita.
Five minutes before the end of the first half, the referee disallowed a goal by Minamino for offside.
The second half also started under control of the locals and with a more withdrawn Tunisia, waiting for their opportunities on the counterattack.
The Japanese danger kept coming from the right, where Junya Ito percussed insistently, although his crosses ran into the centre-backs, one of the best on the visiting side.
the three gifts
In the 54th minute, Tunisia got oil from a long ball in which the Japanese defense made a double mistake, first in a poor clearance that turned into an inadvertent pass to striker Khenissi, who was in turn brought down inside the box by Yoshida. The maximum penalty was converted by Ben Romdhane.
Cheered by their fans, Japan responded by intensifying their siege on the rival area, and with Mitoma, Furuhashi, Doan and Kubo as attacking refreshments introduced by coach Hajime Moriyasu.
But Tunisia remained firm and without conceding loopholes, and once again, found the goal in an innocuous play a priori, a kick by their goalkeeper Dahmen. The ball reached the Japanese area, the Japanese captain Yoshida fell asleep and allowed Mskani to steal his bag to enable Sassi with 15 minutes remaining.
As if the previous concessions were not enough, there would still be time for a new succession of defensive calamities for the locals in the 93rd minute, between attack and desperate attack by the Asians.
Yoshida, on a night he will probably soon forget, missed a pass into the center circle by Mitoma, who fell to the turf under pressure from Jebali. The Tunisian striker ran into the box and shot into Schmidt’s angle without encountering too much opposition from the two defenders in front of him, making it 0-3.