England booed off after turgid Japan loss to raise more questions than answers for Thomas Tuchel

Callum Vurley
Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:59:21 +0000

Japan etched their name into football history on Tuesday evening, becoming the first Asian nation ever to defeat England on home soil.

The visitors secured a 1-0 triumph at Wembley courtesy of Kaoru Mitoma's decisive strike, leaving Thomas Tuchel's men thoroughly humiliated in their final friendly before World Cup squad selection.

Loud boos cascaded from the stands as the referee brought proceedings to a close.

The performance was uninspiring and dreary, raising far more questions than answers for the England manager.

Meanwhile, jubilant Japanese supporters celebrated wildly in their corner of the stadium as they witnessed history unfold before them.

The goal that settled this encounter arrived just past the twenty-minute mark, stemming from a costly error by Cole Palmer.

The Chelsea midfielder surrendered possession carelessly, allowing Mitoma to surge forward through the centre of the pitch.

The Brighton winger displayed composure beyond measure, feeding the ball left to Keito Nakamura before receiving the return pass.

Mitoma then coolly dispatched his effort into the bottom right corner, silencing the Wembley faithful.

It was a moment of clinical precision from the visitors, punishing England's lackadaisical approach in the most emphatic fashion.

The hosts had been warned early on, with Ayase Ueda nearly connecting with a dangerous cross inside three minutes.

England's display throughout the ninety minutes offered precious little encouragement for supporters.

The Three Lions operated without a recognised striker at times, with Anthony Gordon and Phil Foden interchanging positions, yet their ponderous ball movement created no space for either to exploit.

Palmer came closest to restoring parity when his curling strike was tipped brilliantly onto the crossbar by Parma goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.

Late efforts from Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Lewis Hall all failed to breach Japan's resolute defence.

Jarrod Bowen squandered a free-kick opportunity by striking the wall, while another chance fell kindly to him only to be hooked wide.

The defeat offers no reassurance whatsoever that England are adequately prepared for their World Cup opener against Croatia.

Tuchel's side appeared sluggish in possession and showed little prospect of breaking through Japan's defensive structure.

Perhaps more troubling was the lack of urgency when transitioning from attack to defence, exemplified by how easily Mitoma was allowed to escape during the build-up to his goal.

With fewer than one hundred days until the tournament commences in June, the Wembley faithful are desperately seeking signs that their nation will not falter once more on the international stage.

This performance provided no such comfort.