Japan Names Starting Lineup for Uruguay Friendly
Listen to the story
Japan's national football team plays Uruguay today.
The game is a friendly match. It is part of the Kirin Challenge Cup 2026.
The match is in Miyagi, Japan.
Japan's coach announced the starting lineup.
Kuryu Matsuki will start the game. He plays as a right wing-back.
This is his first game for the national team. It is his debut.
Two brothers, the Sano brothers, will play in midfield. Their position is called defensive midfielder.
Two famous players will not start the game. They are Takefusa Kubo and Daichi Kamada.
They will start on the bench. This means they can play later in the game.
Fans want to see the new young players. They also want to see the star players later.
Vocabulary7 words
- friendly
- a game that is not part of a big competition
- starting lineup
- the players who begin the game
- wing-back
- a player who plays on the side and helps attack and defend
- debut
- the first time someone plays in a game
- midfield
- the middle part of the football field
- defensive midfielder
- a player who helps stop the other team in the middle of the field
- bench
- where players sit when they are not playing
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Quiz
Answer key
1. Uruguay 2. It is his debut 3. No, they start on the bench
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Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Japan's national football team plays _____ today.
The game is a _____ match.
The match is in _____, Japan.
Japan's coach announced the _____.
_____ will start the game. He plays as a right _____.
This is his first game for the national team. It is his _____.
Two brothers, the Sano brothers, will play in _____.
Two famous players will not start the game. They are _____ and _____.
They will start on the _____.
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