On Tuesday night, in the U-23 match that was the U.S. national team's final warmup before the Olympics, Japan defeated the U.S. 2-0 thanks to a penalty kick by Shota Fujio in the sixth minute and another goal by Mao Hosoya in the 69th minute.
Japan won a penalty kick when Saito Mitsuki deflected the ball off the right arm of defender Bryan Reynolds on the edge of the penalty area, and Fujio sent the penalty to the right of goalkeeper Patrick Schulte as Schulte jumped to his left.
Japan scored their second goal when they intercepted a throw-in by John Tolkin. Mito Shunsuke dribbled towards goal, his pass deflected off defenders Jonathan Tomkinson and Schulte, and Hosoya tapped in the rebound from four yards out.
Japan midfielder Yamamoto Masahito was hit in the face by a shot in the 24th minute and was carried off on a stretcher.
The goalkeeper was Schulte, the right back was Reynolds, the centre-backs were Walker Zimmerman and Tomkinson, the left-back was Caleb Wylie, the midfield consisted of Tanner Tessman, Pakste Aaronson, Duncan Maguire, Johan Gomes and Griffin Yeo, and Taylor Booth directed the attack.
Midfielder Gianluca Busio did not play because of an ankle injury he sustained while playing for Venezia in the Serie A promotion playoff against Cremonese on June 2.
The United States has qualified for the men's Olympic soccer tournament for the first time since 2008 and will play its first match against host France on July 24 before facing New Zealand and Guinea. Japan will face Paraguay, Mali and Israel.
Men's Olympic soccer is limited to players 23 or younger, and each team can have up to three of its 18 members rostered as overage players. Zimmerman, 31, served as captain of the U.S. team and was the only U.S. player over the age limit.
Rosters of two goalies and 16 field players must be submitted by July 3, and each team will be allowed to designate up to four standby players, including one goalie.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
