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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alan Smith

Japan delivers devastating blow to England in pre-World Cup friendly

  • England suffered a 1-0 defeat to Japan in a pre-World Cup friendly at Wembley, marking Japan's first victory over England at the national stadium.
  • Kaoru Mitoma, the Brighton winger, scored the decisive goal for Japan following a counter-attack after England's Cole Palmer was dispossessed.
  • The match was Thomas Tuchel's final opportunity to assess his squad before naming the tournament team, with England's Elliott Anderson hitting the crossbar.
  • Key players Harry Kane, Declan Rice, and Bukayo Saka were absent from the squad due to minor issues or medical assessments.
  • England's captain for the night, Marc Guehi, expressed disappointment but emphasised the importance of such challenging games for team development and improvement.

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