SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) faced Haiti National Team on Tuesday 10 October in the second match of the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2017 as KAGAWA Shinji (Borussia Dortmund) helped his team pick up a 3-3 draw with his added-time goal.

Further improving the team and trying to find the right mix of players for the World Cup finals coming up in eight month, Japan replaced nine players in the starting line-ups from the New Zealand match four days ago, while defenders NAGATOMO Yuto (FC Internazionale Milano) and MAKINO Tomoaki (Urawa Red Diamonds) continued to be on the starting squad.

Goalkeeper HIGASHIGUCHI Masaaki (Gamba Osaka) was named in the starting XI for the first time since the last March's World Cup Final Qualifiers against Afghanistan. Midfielder KOBAYASHI Yuki (SC Heerenveen) and forward SUGIMOTO Kenyu (Cerezo Osaka) made their first career start for a SAMURAI BLUE match. Midfielder KURATA Shu (Gamba Osaka), who scored his first international goal as a substitute in the previous match, also came in as a starter for the first time in two years and two months......

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