Field Level Media
23 Sep 2022, 20:10 GMT+10
Daichi Kamada scored in the 24th minute and Kaoru Mitoma in the 88th as Japan dominated the U.S. men's national team 2-0 in a friendly in Dusseldorf, Germany on Friday.
The USMNT is now inside two months before opening Group B play in the World Cup against Wales on Nov. 21.
Tuesday, the U.S. plays Saudi Arabia in Murcia, Spain, in the final match before the 26-man World Cup roster must be submitted on Nov. 13.
The one bright spot for the U.S. was Matt Turner. With Zack Steffen injured, Turner, the Arsenal goalkeeper, stepped in and made six saves.
He kept the score 1-0 in the 65th minute with a diving save to his left to stop a skipping shot by Kamada, and 10 minutes later, he tipped over the bar a strike from distance by Ritsu Doan.
Japan led in shot attempts (16-4) and those on target (8-0). It was the first time in 15 matches that the U.S. did not have a shot on goal.
It was a patchwork squad for the Americans, with seven players expected to be on the World Cup roster out with injuries, including midfielder Christian Pulisic.
He was injured in training this week and held out as a precaution but could be available to play Tuesday. Another handicap was having a half-dozen players getting limited playing time for their European clubs in the past several months.
Nonetheless, the U.S. got the first crack at the goal in the seventh minute when Jesus Ferreira sent a header too high. That would be it for the U.S. chances in the first half.
A U.S. giveaway resulted in the first goal with Kamada scoring after a turnover by Weston McKennie in the midfield.
Kamada took a pass by Hidemasa Morita on the right side to slot a shot past Turner. Kamada was initially ruled offside but the goal was allowed after a review.
Mitoma added the insurance goal with a shot to the lower left corner after dribbling through several defenders.
-- Field LevelGet a daily dose of Hong Kong Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Hong Kong Herald.
More InformationAMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: At a two-day summit over the weekend, the BRICS bloc of emerging economies issued a joint declaration condemning...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: A federal rule designed to make it easier for Americans to cancel subscriptions has been blocked by a U.S. appeals...
BASTROP, Texas: In a surprising turn at Elon Musk's X platform, CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she is stepping down, just months after...
NEW YORK CITY, New York: Former British prime minister Rishi Sunak will return to Goldman Sachs in an advisory role, the Wall Street...
LONDON, U.K.: Physically backed gold exchange-traded funds recorded their most significant semi-annual inflow since the first half...
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: Some 32 percent of global semiconductor production could face climate change-related copper supply disruptions...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks rebounded Tuesday with all the major indices gaining ground. Markets in the UK, Europe and Canada...