.png)
3 hours ago
1
Key events Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature
89 mins: Again this goes to Maguire, but he’s too far out to really threaten. The clearing header goes to Hall, whose low, stinging shot is turned round the post. Another corner!
89 mins: And another corner. England haven’t worked out a reliable way of threatening the goal from open play, so they’ve settled for winning corners and hoping for the best.
86 mins: Garner’s corner dips onto Maguire’s head, but he’s too busy wrestling Watanabe to effectively aim his header. Goal kick.
86 mins: Maguire and Burn certainly increase England’s threat from set pieces, and now they’ve won another corner.
85 mins: England currently lead 8-7 on substitutions.
83 mins: And Maguire nearly scores in seconds! A corner, and the defender’s header is cleared off the line by another recent arrival, Sugawara.
83 mins: And yet more substitutions! Harry Maguire and Dan Burn replace Guehi and Konsa.
81 mins: Some more substitutions, Japan with the latest batch. Nakamura, Kamada and Ito are off, Machino, Sugawara, and Suzuki are on. I can’t let Nakamura exit proceedings without linking to this largely undiscovered gem.
79 mins: Rashford’s was apparently England’s first shot on target, according to ITV’s statistics. Which is odd because Rogers certainly had one, and Anderson maybe also in the first half.
78 mins: Chance! And a save! Anderson crosses beyond the far post from the right, it’s headed down to Rashford, and his low shot is too close to Suzuki, who shovels it away. It falls to Bowen, whose shot on the spin goes wide.
77 mins: A good cross from Bowen is half-cleared, Anderson seizes on it and goes into the area, but four defenders are upon him and he’s got nowhere to go.
74 mins: A fine cross from Hall, and for a moment there Japan’s unflappable defence was panicked. But then they cleared, and now they’ve reset.
71 mins: Another couple of England subs. Gordon and Mainoo are off, Rashford and Garner in.
70 mins: Time for another hydration break.
69 mins: Close! Nakamura pegs it down the left, collects the pass, cuts in past Livramento and curls a shot beyond the far post. Nakamura has been impressive tonight, what an athlete.
68 mins: The ball is played to Rogers inside the area, but he’s forced away from goal and ends up playing it back to Hall, newly arrived at left-back, whose cross deflects to Suzuki.
65 mins: Japan bring on Ogawa and Seko. Ueda and Ito go off. So that’s two forwards off, a forward and a defender on.
65 mins: Rogers takes it, and hits the wall.
64 mins: The substitutes have brought a bit of urgency. Rogers is fouled just outside the penalty area, and someone will have a shot from a tasty spot just to the right of the D.
62 mins: Suzuki is forced into action by Rogers, a bit of a scuffed shot but it’ll go down as one on target.
59 mins: Substitutions! Two of England’s front three go off, in Palmer and Foden, and so do the two full-backs in White and O’Reilly. Solanke, Bowen, Hall and Livramento come on.
57 mins: England win a couple of corners, the second ends with Konsa heading wide from beyond the far post.
55 mins: Japan meanwhile have got into England’s penalty area twice more since Doan forced a save from Pickford, but one move ended with a cross towards Ueda that was headed clear, and another with a shot from the edge of the area that was blocked.
53 mins: England may consider introducing a striker at some stage. Perhaps a bit of Bowen might bring some extra dynamism. England’s front three have had lots of nice touches in the kind of areas where nice touches are easy.
50 mins: Save! A high, long crossfield pass finds Doan, whose first touch takes him beyond Guehi and into the penalty area. But instead of crossing he tries to beat Pickford at the near post, and can’t.
49 mins: Palmer sends the ball curling and dipping into Suzuki’s gloves.
48 mins: England have a corner. Harry Kane is pictured in the stands, looking neither agonised nor glum.
46 mins: Peeeeeep! Ito gets the ball re-rolling.
The players are on their way back out. England are not yet using any of their 11 – eleven – available substitutions. “I’ve always generally hated and ignored international friendlies, but this weekend has been a nice reality check,” writes Dan Christmas. “I genuinely thought we had a chance at the World Cup, but it’s nice/depressing to be reminded we have mostly mediocre players and even the good ones in mediocre form.”
At this point, this can probably be classed as an encouraging humiliation. England have never previously lost to a team from Asia. “Losing at home to Japan doesn’t look great but some of England’s first-time passes and long passes have been really very good,” writes Dean Kinsella. “This is a young team and after the old guard contest this summer’s competition in the Americas this lot will be the future. I think the future looks bright.”
Half time: England 0-1 Japan
45+2 mins: And we have had half of the time! It’s been quite a good time, really, but Japan are extremely well organised and England can’t find a way through them.
45+1 mins: There’s only going to be one minute of stoppage time, unless it’s full of bonus stoppages.
