England set unwanted record in 1-0 friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley
England set unwanted record in 1-0 friendly defeat against Japan at Wembley England suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat against Japan at Wembley Stadium, putting a massive dent in their preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Brighton & Hove Albion forward Kaoru Mitoma scored the decisive goal in the end-to-end international friendly, condemning England to their first-ever defeat against an Asian country. The 28-year-old found the back of the net in the 23rd minute, and he turned out to be the matchwinner, handing Japan their first-ever victory against England.
The result also extended the Samurai Blue’s impressive winning streak to five matches on the bounce. England went into the game looking to bounce back from a massively underwhelming 1-1 draw against Uruguay, although manager Thomas Tuchel could be forgiven for fielding an experimental line-up. A host of heavy hitters were unavailable and forced to watch from the stands as Ben White’s late opener was cancelled out by a last-minute penalty from Federico Valverde.
Returning to Wembley – the iconic ground which hosted the inaugural Finalissima – Tuchel opted for a line-up closer to his preferred starting XI. He still wasn’t able to call on captain Harry Kane due to a minor injury, but that doesn’t justify yet another disappointing performance from the Three Lions.