Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Porto Alegre: Head coach Hajime Moriyasu has praised Japan for their 2-2 draw with Uruguay in the Copa America on Thursday, saying the result is just what his young squad needed.
Japan, playing as an invited team, are in Brazil for the Copa America with a squad largely consisting players likely to feature in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
After opening their Group C campaign with a 4-0 defeat against Chile, Moriyasu's team showed great determination to match six-time Copa America champions Uruguay.
Koji Miyoshi twice gave Japan the lead only for Luis Suarez and Jose Jimenez to pull the South Americans level.
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Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Porto Alegre: Two goals from Koji Miyoshi helped Japan secure a hard-earned point in a 2-2 draw with Uruguay at the Copa America on Thursday.
Miyoshi twice fired Japan into the lead only for Uruguay to level through a penalty from Luis Suarez and a second-half header from Jose Gimenez.
The draw means Japan have an outside chance of reaching the quarter-finals from Group C, with one game remaining against Ecuador.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sao Paulo: Eduardo Vargas scored twice as Chile launched the defence of their Copa America crown with an emphatic 4-0 defeat of Japan in Sao Paulo on Monday.
Vargas, who plays for Mexico club Tigres UANL, netted twice in the second half as defending champions Chile gradually overpowered a skillful but limited Japan, who are playing in the South American showpiece as one of two invited teams from Asia.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sao Paulo: New teenage Real Madrid signing Takefusa Kubo said it was an "honour" to be nicknamed the "Japanese Messi" when speaking to reporters at the Copa America on Friday.
Earlier in the day, Spanish giants Real announced the 18-year-old was joining the record 13-time European champions from FC Tokyo, to play for their B team next season.
"Being called the Japanese Messi is an honour and makes me proud, but I'm still not at his level and I prefer to concentrate on my abilities and strengths," said Kubo from Japan's Copa America base in Sao Paulo.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sao Paulo: Duvan Zapata scored for the second match running to send Colombia into the Copa America quarter-finals with a late header to beat Qatar 1-0 on Wednesday.
Carlos Queiroz's team became the first side into the knock-out rounds after following up Saturday's 2-0 win over Argentina with another victory over the Asian champions.
It was a deserved success but one that had looked likely to elude the 2001 champions as they toiled against a Qatar side that defended stoically and held on grimly for more than 85 minutes.
Qatar, who will host the next World Cup in 2022, may now need to beat Lionel Messi's Argentina in their final Group B match if they are to reach the last eight.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Rio de Janeiro: Boualem Khoukhi scored 13 minutes from time as Asian champions Qatar hit back from 2-0 down to earn a 2-2 draw with Paraguay at the Copa America on Sunday.
An Oscar Cardozo penalty and a stunning Derlis Gonzalez strike gave the South Americans a 2-0 lead in Rio de Janeiro but goals from Almoez Ali and Khoukhi in the final quarter snatched a share of the Group B spoils for the tournament debutants.
Thu, 28 Oct, 2021
Sao Paulo: Australia have accepted an invitation to take part in next year's Copa America alongside Asian champions Qatar, who make their debut in the South American tournament this weekend, CONMEBOL announced on Thursday.
"We have decided to invite ... to participate in our competitions the current Asian confederation champions and the previous ones," said Alejandro Dominguez, the president of South American football's governing body.
The announcement came the day before the 2019 competition kicks off in Sao Paulo with hosts Brazil taking on Bolivia.
Qatar, the 2022 World Cup hosts, are participating in the Copa America as guests for the first time this year and line up in Group B alongside 14-time former winners Argentina, Colombia and Paraguay.