Japan’s national football team defeated Uruguay with consecutive late goals in a friendly played in Miyagi.
Uruguay equalized late in the first half and responded more aggressively in the second, but its defense faltered in stoppage time.
What decided the match was not the long back-and-forth itself, but Japan’s two finishes after 90 minutes.
3-Line Summary
1. Japan defeated Uruguay 3-1
2. 1-1 through 90 minutes, followed by two stoppage-time goals
3. The finishing after the equalizer decided the match
Japan Scored First in the 11th Minute, and Uruguay Caught Up in the 42nd
Japan took the lead in the 11th minute of the first half at Q&A Stadium in Miyagi through a left-footed shot by Kuryu Matsuki. According to a Montevideo Portal report, Matsuki received a pass from Keito Nakamura that switched play to the flank, cut in from the right toward the center, and curled a low shot into the goal.
Japan maintained possession for long stretches, creating numerical advantages in midfield and on the flanks based on a 3-4-3 formation. Uruguay responded with long passes and direct attacks, threatening in the 38th minute when Maximiliano Araújo headed the ball.
The equalizer came in the 42nd minute. After Lucas Torreira won the ball high up the pitch, the attack continued, and Japan goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa stopped Federico Viñas’s shot. Araújo finished the rebound to make it 1-1.
Uruguay Regained the Flow in the Second Half, but Stoppage Time Was Different
Uruguay pressed more strongly in the second half than in the first and created several chances. There was a long-range shot by Rodrigo Salazar and a one-on-one opportunity for Darwin Núñez after a passing error by Japan’s defense. However, Uruguay could not produce the decisive goal needed to take the lead.
In the 2nd minute of stoppage time, when the match appeared likely to end 1-1, substitute Gento Shioi scored after facing goalkeeper Santiago Mele. Diario AS reported that the goal was awarded after a video review. Then, in the 6th minute of stoppage time, Ayase Ueda scored the clinching goal on a counterattack.
For Uruguay manager Diego Forlán, this was his debut as the national-team coach. The match will be remembered as one in which Japan took control early, withstood Uruguay’s response, and converted its chances into goals at the final moment. The biggest point of note is that the balance through 90 minutes differed greatly from the final score.
Japan’s Next Opponents Are Venezuela and Ecuador
Telemundo stated that Japan would play friendlies against Venezuela on September 28 and Ecuador on October 1 following the Uruguay match. The Ecuador match was introduced as a 2026 Kirin Challenge Cup fixture.
Against Uruguay, Japan scored three goals: Matsuki’s opener, Shioi’s winning goal, and Ueda’s clinching goal. Uruguay, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on its second-half chances after Araújo’s equalizer and lost after conceding twice late in the match.
References
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