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East Asian Football Championship: do Hong Kong really have no chance?
East Asian Football Championship: do Hong Kong really have no chance?

South China Morning Post

time08-07-2025

  • Sport
  • South China Morning Post

East Asian Football Championship: do Hong Kong really have no chance?

Ashley Westwood is a stickler for detail, so it was probably no accident that he exaggerated Hong Kong's underdog status on the eve of their first East Asian Football Championship match on Tuesday. 'We're playing three very good teams, two of the best-ranked teams in Asia, and China, a good, strong side,' the city's head coach said in Yongin, on the outskirts of Seoul, as he previewed the opening clash with Japan. As if to emphasise the gulf between his Hong Kong side and the rest, he went on to refer to '15th-ranked Japan, 23 [South] Korea, 93 China, and in the background is us, 159 currently'. In fact, Hong Kong have climbed to No 153 since Westwood took over last August, while China sit slightly lower than claimed, at 94, but the coach and his charges have eagerly cast themselves as happy-go-lucky tourists in their few public utterings since arriving in South Korea on Saturday. Tan Chun-lok (right) is put through his paces during training. Photo: HKFA The 'good, strong' billing Westwood gave China may come as a surprise to supporters of the struggling mainlanders, who began with a 3-0 loss to the Koreans on Monday.

Hirakawa makes Japan debut and Ohashi first start
Hirakawa makes Japan debut and Ohashi first start

BBC News

time06-06-2025

  • Sport
  • BBC News

Hirakawa makes Japan debut and Ohashi first start

Bristol City forward Yu Hirakawa made his international debut for Japan on Thursday during their 1-0 World Cup qualifying loss against 24-year-old earned his first senior call-up in May and was put straight into the starting line-up for his country, who have already qualified for the 2026 game also marked a first Japan start for Blackburn Rovers forward Yuki led the side up top while Hirakawa was utilised in midfield, but Australia's Aziz Behich scored a 90th-minute winner to hand Japan their first qualifying defeat.

Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia
Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

Japan Times

time06-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Japan Times

Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

Hajime Moriyasu has already led Japan to qualification for next year's World Cup finals but there was no disguising his frustration at his understrength side losing 1-0 to Australia in Perth on Thursday. Aziz Behich's 90th-minute strike consigned Samurai Blue to a first loss to Australia in 16 years and a first defeat in all matches since February last year. "It ended up being an extremely frustrating and disappointing result," Moriyasu told reporters. "Many inexperienced players were in action, but they were enthusiastic in practice, showed their best and were prepared to fight like Japan as a team." Moriyasu has ambitions to win the World Cup next year, not so foolhardy a goal when it is remembered that he led Japan to victories over Germany and Spain at the last edition in 2022. Keen to expand his squad depth, Moriyasu rested his top players on Thursday and put out a team featuring nine players starting for the first time, three of them debutants. Japan still dominated the match with its neat possession football for all but the last couple of minutes and would have won had they produced a better end-product in front of goal. "I don't think we were technically and physically second best. Maybe, a lack of experience cost us," Moriyasu said "I wanted to see what (inexperienced) players could do in a high-pressure environment. We have to improve and expand our squad." Japan rounds out its qualifying campaign against Indonesia in Suita on Tuesday and Moriyasu said his team would be aiming to get back to winning ways. "We wanted to continue our unbeaten run, but it's too late for that now," Moriyasu said. "We'll ready ourselves the best we can to round things off with a win."

Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia
Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

CNA

time06-06-2025

  • Politics
  • CNA

Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

Hajime Moriyasu has already led Japan to qualification for next year's World Cup finals but there was no disguising his frustration at his understrength side losing 1-0 to Australia in Perth on Thursday. Aziz Behich's 90th minute strike consigned the Samurai Blue to a first loss to Australia in 16 years and a first defeat in all matches since February last year. "It ended up being an extremely frustrating and disappointing result," Moriyasu told reporters. "Many inexperienced players were in action, but they were enthusiastic in practice, showed their best, and were prepared to fight like Japan as a team." Moriyasu has ambitions to win the World Cup next year, not so foolhardy a goal when it is remembered that he led Japan to victories over Germany and Spain at the last edition in 2022. Keen to expand his squad depth, Moriyasu rested his top players on Thursday and put out a team featuring nine players starting for the first time, three of them debutants. They still dominated the match with their neat possession football for all but the last couple of minutes and would have won had they produced a better end-product in front of goal. "I don't think we were technically and physically second best. Maybe, a lack of experience cost us," Moriyasu said "I wanted to see what (inexperienced) players could do in a high-pressure environment. We have to improve and expand our squad." Japan round out their qualifying campaign against Indonesia in Suita on Tuesday and Moriyasu said his team would be aiming to get back to winning ways. "We wanted to continue our unbeaten run, but it's too late for that now," Moriyasu said. "We'll ready ourselves the best we can to round things off with a win."

Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia
Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

Reuters

time06-06-2025

  • Politics
  • Reuters

Japan's Moriyasu mourns end of unbeaten run after loss to Australia

June 6 (Reuters) - Hajime Moriyasu has already led Japan to qualification for next year's World Cup finals but there was no disguising his frustration at his understrength side losing 1-0 to Australia in Perth on Thursday. Aziz Behich's 90th minute strike consigned the Samurai Blue to a first loss to Australia in 16 years and a first defeat in all matches since February last year. "It ended up being an extremely frustrating and disappointing result," Moriyasu told reporters. "Many inexperienced players were in action, but they were enthusiastic in practice, showed their best, and were prepared to fight like Japan as a team." Moriyasu has ambitions to win the World Cup next year, not so foolhardy a goal when it is remembered that he led Japan to victories over Germany and Spain at the last edition in 2022. Keen to expand his squad depth, Moriyasu rested his top players on Thursday and put out a team featuring nine players starting for the first time, three of them debutants. They still dominated the match with their neat possession football for all but the last couple of minutes and would have won had they produced a better end-product in front of goal. "I don't think we were technically and physically second best. Maybe, a lack of experience cost us," Moriyasu said "I wanted to see what (inexperienced) players could do in a high-pressure environment. We have to improve and expand our squad." Japan round out their qualifying campaign against Indonesia in Suita on Tuesday and Moriyasu said his team would be aiming to get back to winning ways. "We wanted to continue our unbeaten run, but it's too late for that now," Moriyasu said. "We'll ready ourselves the best we can to round things off with a win."

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