Japan continued their strong international window

Japan continued their strong international window by defeating New Zealand 2–1 in the Kirin Cup final before more than 60,000 spectators at Tokyo’s National Stadium. Ayase Ueda opened the scoring just before the half‑hour mark, netting his fourth goal in four matches, but Ben Old equalised moments later to keep the contest tight. Japan pushed throughout the second half, with Alex Paulsen producing a superb save to deny Ao Tanaka, yet the breakthrough arrived on seventy‑one minutes when Ritsu Doan finished a slick passing move.

The victory follows wins over Uruguay and Venezuela and a penalty shootout triumph against Ecuador in the semi‑final. Panama claimed third place by beating Ecuador on spot‑kicks after a 1–1 draw. Japan, eliminated by Brazil in the World Cup last sixteen, now turn their focus to January’s Asian Cup, where they face Qatar, Thailand and Indonesia in Hajime Moriyasu’s final tournament before handing over to Go Oiwa.