Yuto Nagamoto, a defensive legend, will start in a surprise start on the 38th and 303rd...Japan changes all 11 starters against each other
Jul 12, 2025
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The Japanese national soccer team, led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, will play the second leg of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (East Asian Cup) against China at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 12th.
The atmosphere of the two teams is 180 degrees different. Japan beat Hong Kong 6-1 in its first match on the 8th. On the other hand, China was completely defeated 0-3 in the first game against South Korea on the 7th.
There is also a big difference in objective power. Japan is 17th in the FIFA rankings. China is ranked 94th. Japan is also leading Japan with 17 wins, 8 draws and 7 losses in the previous record. Japan also won the most recent match. Japan beat China 3-1 in the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 North-China World Cup held on November 19, 2024.
For Japan, Tomoki Hayakawa, Tomoki Henry Mochizuki, Yuto Nagamoto, Satoshi Tanaka, Mao Hosoya, Daichi Hara, Jento Uno, Gota Kawaratsumi, Ryunosuke Sato, Naomi Ueda and Yuto Tsunashima will start. Compared to the match against Hong Kong, all 11 starters have changed.
Veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo, born in 1986, will start. He played in the World Cup finals four times, from the 2010 South African Games to the 2022 Qatar Games. According to Japanese media Daily Sports, he will return to the A team for the first time in two years and eight months since the Qatar World Cup match against Croatia on December 5, 2022. Daily Sports said 'Yuto Nagatomo will play for the A national team for the first time in 9.5 million years. He will compete at the age of 38 years and 303 days. This is the best field player since the opening of the J-League in 1993, beating midfielder Ramos Louis' 38 years and 181 days.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
