Japan vs El Salvador 09/06/19

9 June 2019

After playing out a goalless draw with Trinidad and Tobago, Japan will host El Salvador to the Miyagi Stadium for an international friendly challenge.

An encounter with the CONCACAF-based nation will serve as the final warm-up game ahead of Japan’s participation in the 2019 Copa America. After exiting the 2018 World Cup in the knockout stage, Samurai Blue have been going from strength to strength, racking up an 11-game unbeaten run (W10, D1). But, they have struggled for form ever since a 3-1 loss to Qatar in the Asian Cup final back in February. The hosts have endured mixed fortunes over their last three outings (W1, D1, L1), with all of those games featuring under 1.5 goals. Although they’ve been struggling in the final third recently, Hajime Moriyasu can be happy about his team’s recent defensive displays, with Japan keeping five clean sheets in their previous seven matches.

Meanwhile, the visitors travel here on a run of five consecutive triumphs, four of which have been accompanied by a clean sheet. What’s more, Los Cuscatlecos have won eight of ten games over the past 12 months (W8, L2), with four of those triumphs seeing them beat their rivals by a comfortable two-goal margin. But, Carlos de los Cobos’ players have failed to find the net in both of their previous defeats, conceding six goals across those matches. Also, five of El Salvador’s last six outings have featured under 2.5 goals with just one of them producing goals on both ends too.