Football: Japan to play Uruguay in 1st match since World Cup

Japan will face Uruguay in an international friendly on March 24 at Tokyo’s National Stadium, in their first match since the World Cup in Qatar, the Japan Football Association said Monday.

The Samurai Blue, 20th in the FIFA men’s rankings, reached the knockout stage in Qatar under manager Hajime Moriyasu after beating both Germany and Spain in the group stage, while 16th-ranked Uruguay failed to get out of their group.

Japan have won two, drawn two and lost four of the past meetings between the two countries, the latest being a 2-2 draw at the 2019 Copa America in Brazil.

Japan will take on an...