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FULL TIMELast update 8:27 AM ET
AYASE UEDA! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL OF JAPAN.
Key moments
They'll play five more minutes on Asian soil. Japan is losing with its people at home. Paraguay is defending at the back with loose players providing a reference porto.
The arrival of Martínez Cuenca, Martínez, and Galarza in the final minutes has been a great support for their strategy of maintaining the result and potentially taking a victory.
The Japanese national team coach is asking his players to be more active in attack and prevent their own goals. Alfaro, with a smile on his face, asks them to remain calm and collected.
The match postcard:
Alfaro understands the importance of friendly matches. He knows and understands that he must continue to score more goals to be able to fight for his position in the World Cup. The match looks close and without much space.
The Paraguayans are enjoying a dream come true right now; their level of play is improving and they're sharp in front of goal. That's why Alfaro is putting a lot of emphasis on their mentality, so they can stay on top and continue to play their best.
Juan Cáceres crosses and Diego Gomes scores. WHAT A CRACK! PARAGUAY COMES BACK IN THE GAME ON ASIAN TERRITORY. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL
There were four shots in total in the second half. In the final minutes, they began to get motivated, looking for more goals. Paraguay finished their plays with shots, which is a very positive result compared to the first half.
Paraguay started the second half with a different dynamic, aiming to quickly score the go-ahead goal. Japan, for its part, defended with a low block and didn't take any risks throughout the match.
End of the first half:
Friends, we're heading to the break. With goals from Miguel Almirón and Kogi Osawa, Japan partially tied Paraguay 1-1. Today's match, and as it's shaping up, could be a first-round match at a FIFA World Cup.
Two more minutes will be played on Japanese soil. Paraguay had good spells during the first half, but their opponents managed to stem the momentum and draw level. There was no referee intervention; the center-back did a good job.
The Asians are finishing plays, which is a point in their favor compared to Paraguay. The Guaraníes only have one chance on goal, and it was the goal they scored. Possession is very even, but the difference in expected goals is higher between the two teams. The statistics show we won't have any goals.
Paraguay quickly lost the lead. Alfaro called one of his captains onto the field to ask them to calm down. The Argentine believes his players' individual quality is superior to the Asians'.
What a great start we had to the game. It certainly didn't feel like a friendly. Both teams went forward in search of the goal in their own way. The Japanese were more aggressive and precise. On the Paraguayan side, that collective freshness.
It didn't take long for the Japanese tie to arrive. The Japanese quickly regain the window and we are tied again. GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL DE JAPAN!!!!!!!!!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL DE MIGUEL STARCH. THE GUARANÍS SCORE FIRST, YES!!!!!
We've reached the 20th minute of the match. Another shot from Japan went slightly wide. Paraguay needs to improve their back-and-forth movements and play faster. Their excessive ball control is taking its toll, and they could take the lead at any moment.
Paraguay has improved noticeably, but still lacks the necessary depth to hurt its opponent. The Japanese have executed a plan that has worked perfectly. Pressing, not letting things out, and passing the ball well.
Paraguay can't make three consecutive passes. The South Americans' offensive presence in the opponent's half is very limited. Japan is practical and proactive, always pushing forward.
Japan has possession and has already created the first chance in front of goal. The home side is putting pressure on the Guaraní's defensive line. Alfaro is urging his players to play much faster and more accurately.
1
Friends, welcome to this football awakening in Asia. Japan hosts Paraguay. Alfaro's team, newly qualified for the World Cup, stopped the derby and gathered people to buy a ticket. WE'RE READY!!!!!! WE'RE GOING ALL OUT
It has been several years since these youngsters, who are no longer so young, last saw each other as part of this under-23 category. The Japanese team did everything possible to at least get a point, but the fight was very close and they were unable to hold on. The Guaranis were the ones who opened the scoring, and they kept it up until the second half, and then they took the victory in the same way.
The match was fairly clean, with little movement, as there was a lot of tension in the midfield. Japan tried to catch up with the other team at one point; Paraguay was a little more accurate in its way of attacking. Japan vs Paraguay would end with the victory of the Guaranis.
In the 18th minute, Pedro Federico Báez scored the first goal of the match. In the 60th minute, Japan tied the score with a goal from Takuma Asano. And in the 70th minute, Sergio Díaz gave his team the victory.
Japan’s team has managed to have a very high level of play on their way to qualifying for this competition, as well as being crowned champions of their region. They finished the final round undefeated, which is why they would win the title in the last match and be able to play this inaugural Japan vs Paraguay for them
The Samurai Blue are on a four-game winning streak against the visitors, scoring four goals apiece in two. They registered a 5-0 win over Thailand in their previous friendly game at home and will look to build on that form.
Los Guaraníes have enjoyed a good run of form, losing just one of their last 12 games in all competitions. They have won just one of their last three friendlies, failing to score in two. They have failed to score in six of their last eight meetings in this fixture
Paraguay have seen under 2.5 goals in five of their six games in 2025. They have kept four clean sheets in that period while failing to score in two.
The hosts have seen under 2.5 goals in seven of their nine games in 2025, failing to score in the last two.
Four of the 11 meetings between the two teams have produced over 2.5 goals.
🇯🇵 Japan XI: Suzuki, Watanabe, Suzuki, Seko, Doan, Sano, Tanaka, Minamino, Ito, Nakamura, Ogawa
🇵🇾 Paraguay XI: Fernandez, Alonso, Alderete, Gomez, Caceres, Gomez, Cubas, Bobadilla, Gonzalez, Sanabria, Almiron
- The two teams have squared off 11 times in all competitions. The hosts have the upper hand in these meetings, recording five wins. La Albirroja are not far behind with three wins and three games have ended in draws.
- Their last two meetings have taken place in previous editions of the Kirin Challenge Cup, and the Samurai Blue recorded a 4-1 win in 2022.
Explore more stats, standings and news on VAVEL Data: Japan · Paraguay
