Japan made history by becoming the first Asian team to defeat England, securing a 1-0 victory at Wembley Stadium on 31/3. Kaoru Mitoma's goal in the 23rd minute marked a significant milestone, ending Japan's previous winless streak against the "Three Lions" and delivering England their first-ever loss to an Asian side.

Japan extended their winning streak to five matches, including victories over Brazil (3-2), Ghana (2-0), Scotland, and England, all by a 1-0 score. This result also marked the first time Thomas Tuchel's squad failed to score since 6/2024.

Mitoma (number 7) scored for Japan in the friendly match against England at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 31/3. *Photo: Reuters*

The match at Wembley on 31/3 served as a test of whether England could perform well against strong opponents without Harry Kane. The answer became clear after a disappointing 90 minutes: no.

Not all issues revolved around Kane, who was absent due to a foot injury. However, it was easy to link England's lack of sharpness to the absence of the Bayern striker. Tuchel had emphasized earlier in the week the poor scoring efficiency of other attacking players. He needed them to contribute more, but what they showed was only stagnation.

The home team had a few surges at the end of the match, mainly from corner kicks after Harry Maguire and Dan Burn were introduced. This approach was simple but sometimes effective. Overall, England lacked creativity in open play, with problems stemming from both individual players and the system.

With Kane absent, Tuchel deployed Cole Palmer and Phil Foden as two "number 10s" in a 4-2-4 formation, but this experiment proved ineffective. England lacked penetration in the final third and showed almost no runs behind the opposition defense. Japan, therefore, played comfortably for most of the match.

Goalkeeper Jordan Pickford conceded for the first time at international level since 10/2024, when Kaoru Mitoma beat him midway through the first half, ending a clean sheet streak of 922 minutes.

Under Tuchel, England had faced three teams ranked in FIFA's top 20, all in friendly matches. They lost 1-3 to Senegal (ranked 14th) late last year, drew 1-1 with Uruguay (17th) last friday, and now suffered a defeat to Japan (18th). Many English fans left early, and those who remained booed in frustration.

Striker Ayase Ueda challenges for the ball in the friendly match against England at Wembley Stadium, London, England on 31/3. *Photo: Reuters*

This was anticipated to be a challenging international break, with several withdrawals and fitness concerns. The team that previously won all their European World Cup qualifiers showed signs of decline ahead of the finals.

Tuchel surprised by deploying Morgan Rogers on the right wing, Anthony Gordon on the left, with Palmer and Foden pairing up front. England started well, combining quickly with many short passes. England created a chance from a corner kick in the 12th minute, as Palmer, Gordon, and captain Marc Guehi took consecutive shots, but all were blocked. After conceding, Elliott Anderson displayed skill with a curling shot that hit the crossbar, showing a positive sign.

However, England's difficulties continued to surface. In the 36th minute, Nico O’Reilly delivered a favorable cross to Foden, but he could not jump high enough for an effective header. Late in the first half, Mainoo's misplaced pass created an opportunity for Ayase Ueda to shoot, with the ball deflecting off Ezri Konsa and hitting the crossbar.

Japan showcased many strengths with their 3-4-2-1 formation: flexible movement, good ball control, and particularly effective pressing when losing possession, which denied England space.

After the break, Japan continued to exploit O’Reilly's weakness with long passes behind him. Ritsu Doan had a chance but was denied by Pickford, and Nakamura nearly scored with a curling shot in the 69th minute.

Tuchel made continuous substitutions hoping to make a difference. Marcus Rashford tried his luck but could not beat goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. Maguire almost scored with his first touch, but Yukinari Sugawara cleared the ball off the line.

Chances continued to arise late in the match. Lewis Hall took a dangerous shot after Maguire disrupted the Japanese defense. In the final seconds, from another corner, Dan Burn set up Rogers for a shot, but he sent the ball over the bar from a clear opportunity. A significant chance was missed, concluding a forgettable home match for England.

Vy Anh