U.S. Under-20 Men's National Team Falls 2-0 to Japan in Tournament Opener at Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center
USA will Face Colombia Next on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. ET
ATLANTA (Nov. 13, 2026) -- U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team opened its three-match tournament at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center with a 2-0 loss to Japan.
Shion Shinkawa and captain Kento Hamasaki scored first-half goals for Japan, which held firm defensively the rest of the way, as the USA pushed for a breakthrough after head coach Gonzalo Segares turned to his bench in the second half.
This tournament is part of the USA’s preparations for the 2027 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, set for Sept. 17-Oct. 9, 2027. The team qualified for the World Cup by winning the 2026 Concacaf U-20 Championship in Puebla, Mexico in August.
The USA controlled possession and set the tempo through the opening 10 minutes, working the ball down the right flank in search of crossing opportunities, while Japan tried its lick from long range.
Japan struck first in the 12th minute. A cross from the left found Hamasaki inside the box, and the Japan captain fired on goal. U.S. goalkeeper Giorgio De Marzi got his hands on the shot after it deflected off the defense but could not hold it, and Shinkawa snuck in to dribble to loose ball across the line.
The Americans responded with a string of chances. Pedro Guimaraes sent a shot from inside the box just wide in the 16th minute and Johnny Shore missed the target in the 26th minute. Several more U.S. attacks reached the edge of the 18-yard box, only for Japan’s back line to block them away. In the 37th minute, Daniel Pinter forced a save from Japan goalkeeper Shuji Muramatsu.
Japan doubled its lead in the 42nd minute when Hamasaki slotted a shot into the back of the net from the right side, just inside the penalty area and doubled their lead.
Japan’s high press continued to disrupt the U.S. buildup after halftime, but the Americans kept probing with short, precise passing. Jude Terry drove down the right side and tested Muramatsu early in the second half, and De Marzi kept the deficit at two in the 59th minute, stretching out an arm to deny a shot from Japan substitute Chinedu Divine Otani.
Segares made four changes in the 63rd minute and six more over the next 14 minutes, allowing multiple players to get valuable time on the field. The fresh legs produced the USA’s most dangerous stretch of the match. Josh Torquato had a powerful shot just over the crossbar in the 70th minute, and Darius Randell’s effort was saved by Muramatsu. In the 74th minute, a combination among Randell, Torquato and captain Colin Guske nearly produced a goal, and Gabe Wesseh sent a shot over the bar in the 80th minute.
Japan’s disciplined defense held to the final whistle and kept the score 2-0 in their favor.
Up next, the USA will face Colombia on Saturday Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. ET and conclude the tournament against Paraguay on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 12 p.m. ET. All U.S. matches will be streamed on U.S. Soccer’s YouTube channel.
-U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team Match Report-
Match: United States U-20 Men's National Team vs. Japan U-20 Men’s National Team
Date: November 12, 2026
Competition: International Matches / Tournament
Venue: Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center
Weather: 55 degrees
| Scoring Summary | 1 | 2 | F |
| USA | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JPN | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| JPN – Shion Shinkawa | 12th minute |
| JPN – Kento Hamasaki | 42 |
Lineups:
USA: 12-Giorgio De Marzi; 2-Harbor Miller (15-Parker Amoo-Mensah, 63), 5-Ramiz Hamouda (23-Jacob Hall, 71), 14-Pedro Guimaraes (3-Josh Torquato,63), 20-Christopher Cupps (4-Chris Applewhite, 77); 6-Colin Guske (capt.), 18-Jude Terry (10-Santiago Morales, 77), 19-Johnny Shore (8-Alex Shaw, 63); 7-Daniel Pinter (13-Gabe Wesseh, 71), 9-Ruben Ramos (17-Jacob Arroyave, 71), 11-Jaidyn Contreras (16-Darius Randell, 63)
Subs not used: 1-Kayne Zvanovich, 21-Aidan Stokes, 22-Javaun Mussenden
Head Coach: Gonzalo Segares
JPN: 1-Shuji Muramatsu (12-Hiroto Matsuura, 79); 2-Katsuma Fuse (4-Haruto Nakano, 46), 3-Shota Fujii, 15- Kaede Suzuki; 8-Luke Rawlings (13-Homare Tokuda, 68),10-Kento Hamasaki (Capt.) (7-Takato Yamamoto, 46), 11-Kaito Konomi (17-Ryuki Osa, 79), 19-Taiga Seguchi (16-Shimon Kobayashi, 46), 22-Shimpei Okura (6-Hiroto Ogawa, 68); 9-Shion Shinkawa (20-Minato Yoshida, 52), 18-Taiga Sguchi (21-Chinedu Divine Otani, 46)
Subs not used: 5-Reon Tanaka, 14-Makoto Himeno
Head Coach: Satoshi Yamaguchi
Stats Summary: USA / JPN
Shots: 9 / 10
Shots on Goal: 4 / 4
Saves: 2 / 4
Corner Kicks: 3 / 5
Fouls: 5 / 10
Offside: 0 / 1
| Misconduct Summary | |
| USA – Daniel Pinter (Caution) | 57th minute |
| USA – Josh Torquato (Caution) | 82 |
| JPN – Minato Yoshida (Caution) | 89 |
Officials:
Referee: Damien Jarrett (USA)
Assistant Referee 1: Griffin Westbrook (USA)
Assistant Referee 2: Ethan Bruns (USA)
Fourth Official: Stephanie Sokol (USA)