Mexico vs Japan
Two of the biggest winners this summer are set to go head-to-head, as Mexico square off against Japan in an International Friendly at Oakland Coliseum this Saturday evening. Both teams plan to use this international break to prepare ahead of next year’s World Cup.
Mexico won the CONCACAF Gold Cup last July after winning 2-1 against the United States in the final. El Tri remain the winningest team in tournament history after they won their 10th trophy. Because they’re one of the three hosts in next year’s World Cup, alongside the United States and Canada, Javier Aguirre’s side no longer has to worry about qualifying.
On the other hand, Japan’s B-team won the EAFF East Asian Cup after a 1-0 win over South Korea in the final. This is the Samurai Blue’s third trophy in the competition, only two adrift of the Taeguk Warriors. Hajime Moriyasu’s men also became the first Asian side to qualify for the World Cup after a nearly flawless run in the Asian qualifiers.
Talking Points
Mexico will continue to rely on the vets
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Mexico will bring back their CONCACAF Gold Cup core this international break, as they plan to sustain their momentum. El Tri named Fenerbahce’s Edson Alvarez as the captain once again, and he’ll be accompanied by fellow veterans Jesus Gallardo, Cesar Montes, Orbelin Pineda, Carlos Rodriguez, Raul Jimenez, Hirving Lozano, and Roberto Alvarado. Meanwhile, there’ll be more opportunities for Erik Lira, Alexis Vega, and Jorge Sanchez after they did well in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The one big question about the Mexican roster is whether Guillermo Ochoa still has a place within the team after being their captain for so long. He just turned 40 last July, and Ochoa is reportedly keen on earning a spot by balling for AVS this season. As of this writing, Ochoa wasn’t called up, so Luis Malagon should continue to man between the sticks for Mexico.
Another key omission for Mexico this international break is Gilberto Mora, who is emerging as a high-potential talent. The 16-year-old attacking midfielder currently plays for Tijuana. Mora, linked to a potential future move to Real Madrid, holds the record for the youngest player to score in Liga MX, the youngest to debut for El Tri, and the youngest to win a senior international trophy.
Japan have a huge European contingent
On the other side of the pitch, Hajime Moriyasu will bring out his top guns to the United States, as he believes this international break provides a great opportunity for his players to get a feel of the environment for next year’s World Cup.
Some of the biggest names include Liverpool’s Wataru Endo, AS Monaco’s Takumi Minamino, Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma, Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo, Ajax’s Ko Itakura, Parma’s Zion Suzuki, Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ritsu Doan, Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada, and Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. Moriyasu also called up Sanfrecce Hiroshima’s Hayato Araki and Avispa Fukuoka’s Tomoya Ando this week, following their strong performances for the national team that won the EAFF East Asian Cup last July. Tomoki Hayakawa, Hiroki Sekine, Kodai Sano, and Yuito Suzuki also hope to leave a lasting impression during the break.
With so many weapons at their disposal, the Samurai Blue are expected to create new International Friendly 2025 highlights in the United States. According to the SBOTOP International Friendly 2025 odds, they should put up a good fight against Mexico.
History
Saturday marks the seventh competitive encounter between Mexico and Japan. El Tri have a significant advantage in the overall head-to-heads with five wins, although the Samurai Blue won their first-ever matchup in the 1996 Kirin Cup (3-2).
These two nations last met in an International Friendly in 2020, as Mexico won 2-0 over Japan, courtesy of second-half goals from Raul Jimenez and Hirving Lozano, and a couple of brilliant saves from Guillermo Ochoa. Mexico had Gerardo “Tata” Martino as their head coach at the time.
Since then, Mexico ultimately sacked Martino after a steep drop in form, culminating in their worst failure in 44 years, as the team failed to advance from the World Cup group stage for the first time since 1978. Before World Cup 2022, El Tri had progressed to the Round of 16 in the previous seven editions. As for Japan, they have consistently qualified for the World Cup since 1998. During World Cup 2022, the Samurai Blue advanced to the Round of 16 after surprisingly taking the top spot in a stacked Group E. However, they exited the tournament after losing to Croatia on penalties.
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