Japan seal Copa spot, beat Bolivia in friendly | OneFootball

Coach Hajime Moriyasu stated that Japan will enter the next year confident that it can make an impact in the World Cup, after defeating Bolivia 3-0 in a friendly match this Tuesday. Moriyasu's team secured their third consecutive victory in friendlies, including their first win over Brazil, ending the year on a high at Japan's National Stadium.

It was also their second consecutive match without conceding a goal, following a 2-0 victory over Ghana on Friday. Moriyasu declared that Japan aims to win the World Cup and believes they are gaining momentum towards the tournament, which will be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“The work we did this year allowed us to keep a clean sheet,” said Moriyasu, who led Japan for the 100th time. “No matter who we play against, it is up to us to impose our game and seek goals. Winning today gives us confidence and prepares us for next year's challenge,” he stated.

Photo: Philip FONG / AFP

An early goal by Daichi Kamada from Crystal Palace set Japan on the path to victory, before second-half goals from substitutes Shuto Machino and Keito Nakamura secured the result. Japan won even with Moriyasu making seven changes from the team that started against Ghana.

“This game showed that we can win regardless of who is on the field and even when things are not in our favor,” he said.

Kamada, who has yet to score for his club this season, found the net with a beautiful left-footed shot five minutes in.

“Today I played in midfield, but I was told to try to get into scoring positions,” said the 29-year-old player. Machino extended Japan's lead shortly after coming on, finishing Nakamura's cross from close range.

Nakamura scored the third after creating space for the shot with skill inside the Bolivian area.

Bolivia

Bolivia also has a chance to qualify for the World Cup and will compete in an intercontinental playoff in March, after finishing seventh in the South American qualifiers. Coach Oscar Villegas admitted that his team was outplayed by Japan.

“Japan pressed us in our build-up play. We wanted to prevent them from breaking our lines, but it was difficult, as they also showed against Brazil,” he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.