Japan’s men’s Olympic soccer group attained a tense 1-1 attract with gold medal candidates Spain on Saturday in their closing warm-up just before the start of the Tokyo Video games.
Ritsu Doan scored Japan’s opener a few minutes just before the crack at Kobe’s Noevir Stadium, exactly where Spain dominated possession for all but the last minutes of the first 50 %.
Ritsu Doan (2nd from R) of Japan scores the opening aim from Spain through the initial half of a warm-up match for the Tokyo Olympics on July 17, 2021, at Noevir Stadium in Kobe, western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The Spaniards pressed relentlessly just after the intermission and their persistence paid off in Javi Puado’s 78th-minute equalizer.
The hosts made much more 2nd-50 percent possibilities, sparked by the introduction of speedy Yokohama F Marinos forward Daizen Maeda.
Japan came in just a hair of profitable it in the last shift. Spain keeper Alvaro Fernandez, even so, made a incredible preserve just after a free of charge kick from the edge of the location by Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka rocketed off the leg of a defender.
“We came in with a concentrate on winning this game and it’s unfortunate that we did not,” Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu claimed.
“On the other hand, the players confirmed the tenacity wanted. It was big for us to get a goal from these types of robust opponents. We failed to get the winner, but we developed the necessary chances.”
Doan, who played past year in Germany on bank loan at Arminia Bielefeld, ran onto a cross from Real Madrid’s Takefusa Kubo who had stolen the ball out on the left.
Martin Zubimendi of Spain (L) and Takefusa Kubo of Japan vie for the ball for the duration of the 1st 50 % of a warm-up match for the Tokyo Olympics on July 17, 2021, at Noevir Stadium in Kobe, western Japan. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
Doan’s shot somehow located a route concerning two defenders and the keeper, prior to placing the bottom of the bar around the top rated still left corner and going in.
The second fifty percent was a story of Spanish missed shots combined with tenacious Japanese defending, which includes some stable get the job done from substitute keeper Keisuke Osako.
Spain’s frustration ended about 50 % an hour immediately after the break, when defender Juan Miranda crossed to Puado, who experienced observed space in the penalty spot and side-footed by a crowd of defenders and in off the put up.
The Olympic men’s event receives under way on Thursday, when Japan open their Team A campaign from South Africa at Tokyo Stadium. A few times afterwards, the hosts just take on Mexico at Saitama Stadium, in advance of finishing the team stage against France on July 28 at Intercontinental Stadium Yokohama.
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