The third round of the Olympic Men's Soccer Group Stage saw a marquee matchup between the Israel U23s and the Japan U23s on the green pitch. The match was not only a matter of honor for both teams, but also determined whether or not Japan could head into the knockout rounds with a clean sweep of the group, while for the Israelis, it was a last-ditch effort to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
In the first half of the match, both players showed a very high level of competitiveness, with frequent transitions between offense and defense, and a tense and intense scene. The Israeli U23s made several attempts to break up the Japanese defense through accurate passing and fast running, with Abada's shot being particularly impressive, but unfortunately, it was parried away by Japan's goalkeeper Reio Oshakubo. Elad Mademon also attempted a long-range shot, but again failed to hit the target and went wide of the goal.
Into the second half, both sides continued to maintain a high intensity of confrontation. The Israeli team was not discouraged by the loss in the first half, and they continued to be tenacious in their search for a breakthrough. Once again, Abada was the center of the attack, and his low shot tested the reflexes of Reio Sakubo, but the Japanese goalkeeper once again did a great job to keep the ball out of the net.
As the game time went on, the physical strength of the players of both sides declined to different degrees, but the Japanese team gradually took the initiative on the field by virtue of more stable play and excellent teamwork. As the match entered extra time, Japan finally got their long-awaited goal. Makoto Hosoya received a pass from a teammate at the front of the penalty area, calmly adjusted his pace, and then fired a precise shot through the Israeli defense and into the corner of the goal. The goal not only sealed the win for Japan, but also allowed them to finish the tournament with a clean sweep of the group.
As the final whistle blew, Japan U23s defeated Israel U23s 1-0 to advance to the knockout stage.
