Moriyasu Leads Oranje-Friendly Plan to 2-1 Win Over Japan U19
Japan’s oranje preparation took a closed turn, and Hajime Moriyasu got the result he wanted: a 2-1 training win over the Japan U19 team. The match was played behind closed doors in four periods of 35 minutes, with the staff using it as a controlled test before the Netherlands.
Junnosuke Suzuki and Kento Shiogai scored for Japan. The setup was not a normal friendly. Japan skipped international friendly matches before this session and instead used its own U19 side to imitate the Netherlands, including long balls and aerial strength.
Moriyasu’s closed-door choice
Moriyasu’s decision gave Japan a way to work without exposing its full plan. The staff treated the session as a quality test, and players were given room to try different formations while the team kept set-piece and penalty training secret from opponents.
Maya Yoshida said the format allowed the team to control match duration, test tactics and reduce injury risk. That is the practical value of the setup: the group could work through a match load without the open look that comes with a standard warm-up game.
Japan U19 mimicked Netherlands
The U19 side was instructed to play in a style similar to the Netherlands. That meant a focus on direct play, long balls and aerial strength, all designed to create a rehearsal that looked and felt closer to the opponent Japan expects.
The match also fit the physical side of the build-up. Japan used it to improve condition in the warm and humid weather in the United States, and many players went up to 70 minutes. Daichi Kamada said the whole team had adapted better to the harsh weather after its training camp in Mexico.
Japan’s 2014 lesson
The broader approach is more cautious and more scientifically based after the lessons of Japan’s failed 2014 World Cup preparation. That history explains why the staff chose control over routine and secrecy over a public friendly.
For Japan, the 2-1 scoreline is secondary to the work it got done. The main takeaway is that the team leaves this session with a cleaner read on formations, match fitness and risk management before meeting the Netherlands.
