Japan beats New Zealand 2-1 in Moriyasu's final home match as manager
In short
Japan beat New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup at Tokyo National Stadium on Oct 5, in what Yonhap called manager Hajime Moriyasu's last home game in charge. Ayase Ueda scored in the 28th minute, Ben Old equalised in the 32nd and Ritsu Doan scored the winner in the 26th minute of the second half. Japan won the Kirin Cup for the first time in 15 years, since 2011.
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Japan beat New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup at Tokyo National Stadium on Oct 5, in what Yonhap reported was manager Hajime Moriyasu's last home match in charge. Newsis framed the game in its headline as the end of the “Moriyasu era” and a win over New Zealand in that final home fixture. [ 1 , 2 ]
According to Yonhap, Ayase Ueda gave Japan the lead in the 28th minute, Ben Old equalised for New Zealand in the 32nd, and Ritsu Doan scored the winning goal in the 26th minute of the second half. Japan had reached the final by beating Ecuador on penalties on Oct 1. The Kirin Cup is a friendly tournament organised by the Japan Football Association and held irregularly since 2011; this year's edition featured Japan, Ecuador, New Zealand and Panama, with the first-round winners meeting in the final and the losers in a third-place match. [ 1 ]
The title was Japan's first in the Kirin Cup in 15 years, after a shared 2011 win with Peru and the Czech Republic, Yonhap reported. Japan's September–October international window ended with three wins and one draw, counting the Ecuador match as a win on penalties. Moriyasu, who has led the national team since 2018, is to stay on through the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January–February 2027, after which Go Oiwa — who coached the under-21 team at the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games — takes over from March. Moriyasu still has November matches against Brazil and Paraguay, which Yonhap said will be played in Singapore. [ 1 ]
After the match Moriyasu said that when he saw the packed stands his emotions rose and he felt he might cry. Asked whether he might return to the National Stadium, he said that is not yet decided, but that since he will keep working as a coach he expects to be involved in matches again as part of a team. [ 1 ]
Newsis published its report under a headline referring to the match and Moriyasu's farewell, but the article text available for that outlet dealt with an unrelated subject and contained no match reporting. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The result closes a farewell home fixture for a manager who has led Japan since 2018 and is due to stay until the 2027 AFC Asian Cup. It also marks Japan's first Kirin Cup title since 2011 and continues a three-win, one-draw run in the September–October international window ahead of November friendlies against Brazil and Paraguay in Singapore.
Key facts
- Japan beat New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup at Tokyo National Stadium on Oct 5. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Ayase Ueda scored in the 28th minute, Ben Old equalised in the 32nd minute and Ritsu Doan scored the winner in the 26th minute of the second half. [ 1 ]
- Japan won the Kirin Cup for the first time in 15 years, after a shared 2011 title with Peru and the Czech Republic. [ 1 ]
- The match was Hajime Moriyasu's last home game as Japan manager, a position he has held since 2018. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Japan finished the September–October international window with three wins and one draw, the Ecuador match having been won on penalties. [ 1 ]
- Moriyasu will lead the team through the 2027 AFC Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia in January–February 2027, with Go Oiwa taking over from March. [ 1 ]
- Moriyasu said he felt emotional and close to tears seeing a full stadium, and that a return to the National Stadium is not yet decided. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Japan beat New Zealand 2-1 in the Kirin Cup at Tokyo National Stadium on Oct 5, in Hajime Moriyasu's last home match in charge. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Japan won the Kirin Cup, its first title in the tournament in 15 years. [ 1 ]
- Ayase Ueda, Ben Old and Ritsu Doan scored in the match, with Doan's goal in the 26th minute of the second half the winner. [ 1 ]
Still unclear
- The kickoff time and attendance of the Oct 5 match. The documents give the date and venue but no kickoff time or attendance figure.
- Whether Moriyasu will manage at the National Stadium again. Only one outlet reports his comment that this is “not yet decided”, with no further detail.