Six A-team debut → Yuto Nagatomo, a surprise starter for mixed race GK born in 2006, waits on the bench, reveals the list of starters for the match against Hong Kong
Jul 08, 2025
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The Japanese national soccer team, led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, will play the first match of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) against Hong Kong at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 8th. Japan is trying to win for the third time after 2013 and 2022.
As many as six Japanese players will make their A national team debut in this match. The formation is 3-4-2-1. Kakita Yuki leads the attack. Taisei Miyashi and Jermain Ryo will be on both wings. In the midfield, Yuki Soma, Sho Inagaki, Hayao Kawabe, and Tizuro Kubo will appear. Taiyo Koga, Hayato Araki and Tomoya Ando are in charge of defense. Alessandre will play for the goal. Born in 2006, Pisano, a mixed-race goalkeeper, picked his first A-team and even had a chance to make his debut. On the other hand, highly anticipated Yuto Nagatomo waits on the bench.
In terms of objective power alone, Japan has an overwhelming advantage. Japan is 15th in the FIFA rankings. It's the highest ranking in Asia. In the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup, which recently ended, he also secured a ticket to the finals as No. 1 in Group C. Hong Kong, on the other hand, is ranked 153rd. In the E-1 Championship match, Japan won all three matches against Hong Kong.
According to Japanese soccer media Gekisaker, Japan has 12 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses against Hong Kong. However, Japan has never lost since 1980, with 10 wins and 2 draws. Since the 1990s, it has won all seven games. In the 2022 E-1 Championship, the team won the E-1 championship 6-0.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
