Cole Palmer struggled for 59 minutes on the pitch for England. (Image: Getty)
England suffered their first loss to Japan in a World Cup warm-up match, and their first loss since June. Last Friday, the Three Lions conceded a penalty in stoppage time to draw with Uruguay, and there were hopes that the much-changed home team would raise the bar in a test against the powerful Japanese team, which will be in Group F at this summer’s tournament.
But that wasn’t the case, with Thomas Tuchel’s side putting in a lackluster and underwhelming performance, suffering a rare defeat at home and booing audible at the final whistle. Samurai Blue clinched a historic win with a 23rd-minute goal from Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma capping off a fantastic display. Express Sport explains the key talking points…
England eleven revealed
Tuchel effectively split his expansion squad into two ahead of friendlies against Uruguay and Japan. There were 10 changes to the XI here. And it’s clear that this team was closer to the one that would start against Croatia on June 17 than Friday’s lineup.
Harry Kane, Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice and Reece James are all absent through injury and all four are certain to start if they are fit, but Lewis Hall is seen as first choice at left-back. However, it is very likely that Jordan Pickford, Mark Guehi, and Elliott Anderson will be starters from this team. Ezri Konsa could also have an advantage against Harry Maguire.
This means that nine of the 11 starting spots for the match against Croatia will suddenly be taken away. Their teammates tonight did little to dispel that theory. The only positions left unfilled are left wing (Marcus Rashford has Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rodgers available) and the number 10 role, with Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Rodgers all available. My money is in Rushford and Bellingham.
What happened to Palmer?
Palmer was seen as the future of the England squad after his goal in the Euro 2024 final, fresh off a season in which he scored 27 goals and provided 15 assists for Chelsea. The Palmer on display here, and the Palmer the Premier League has seen for much of this season, is a pale imitation of the same player from two years ago.
Since that final, Palmer has clearly been plagued by injuries. This was only the fifth of 17 possible appearances for the Three Lions since the disastrous result in Berlin. It was another unforgettable match, with no successful dribbles, no shots on target, only one touch inside the opponent’s box, and no defensive contribution.
It was he who lost the ball in Japan’s goal, and his substitution in the 59th minute was not surprising, even if it had been planned in advance. And if he wants to start over from Bellingham in America, he will need to do much better than this at Chelsea between now and the end of the season.
Thomas Tuchel was given more questions than answers by England against Japan (Image: Getty)
harry kane problem
Neither of the two Doms, Solanke and Calvert-Lewin, did enough to prove themselves as Harry Kane’s backup in the last game. Here, Ollie Watkins was left out of the squad and it was Foden who deputized for the false nine in the first half. It didn’t work.
It was a disjointed attack overall, so it wasn’t just the Manchester City man’s fault. But it served as a reminder for Tuchel of one of the biggest dilemmas he faces at this World Cup. Kane, 32, cannot play every minute, as evidenced by his recent injury absence. So, when that is not possible, who will take the lead?
There is no clear answer. It was telling that the 5ft 7in Foden, who has a completely different profile to Kane, started here. Anthony Gordon played more centrally in the second half, but the attack remained lackluster. It wasn’t much better when Jarrod Bowen, Rashford and Solanke arrived. England’s only consistent threat came from set pieces. Tuchel certainly has a lot of work to do between now and May.
Japan is living up to the hype
In Asia, this Japanese team is considered the best team of all time, and even considered better than the team that defeated Germany and Spain at the Qatar World Cup. And a beautifully worked counter-attacking goal, Jordan Pickford’s first conceded in an England shirt since October 2024, was a very clear indicator of their quality.
This was England’s last match before Tuchel named his provisional World Cup squad. Therefore, it was natural that more stringent tests were imposed. Japan conceded and England were forced to wait until the 77th minute for their first shot on target.
But what really caught the eye was their sharp, quick passing and exciting attacking play. In fact, it was the kind of football England fans craved, but they just couldn’t figure it out. They had a flurry in the closing stages after the substitutions, but even then it was mainly a set-piece threat rather than a chance from open play. But for Japan, this will be a huge confidence booster after defeating Scotland at Hampden Park.
