Japan Page 2 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Japan leaves injured Kaoru Mitoma off World Cup roster
Japan left injured midfielder Kaoru Mitoma off the 26-man World Cup roster announced by coach Hajime Moriyasu on Friday.,Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury during Brighton's Premier League match against Leeds on Saturday, leaving his World Cup status in serious doubt. That was confirmed with Friday'...

Japan's Kaoru Mitoma (hamstring) uncertain for World Cup
Kaoru Mitoma's availability to play for Japan in the World Cup is uncertain after the Brighton midfielder suffered a hamstring injury last weekend.,Mitoma will miss Brighton's final two matches of the Premier League season, beginning with Saturday's game at Leeds. ,"Regarding the World Cup, I'm not ...

Kennedy Wesley's first goal, assist lead USWNT past Japan
Kennedy Wesley scored and had an assist during a 17-minute, second half eruption when the U.S. women's national team scored all its goals for a 3-0 victory over Japan in Commerce City, Colo., on Friday.,The U.S. won two of three in the series vs. Japan over the past week, prevailing in the finale on...

Japan ends USWNT's 10-match winning streak
Maika Hamano scored just after the halfway point of the first half and Japan defeated the United States 1-0 on Tuesday night to snap the Americans' 10-match winning streak in a friendly played in Seattle.,Akane Okuma made five saves to become the first goalkeeper to hold the U.S. scoreless since the...

Rose Lavelle records goal, assist in USWNT's victory over Japan
Rose Lavelle celebrated her 100th start with a goal and an assist to help the U.S. women's national team to a 2-1 win in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday to open a three-match series against Japan.,Lavelle, in her 119th match, scored in the 9th minute off a set piece then set up Lindsey Heaps in the 48...

Rose Lavelle records goal and assist in USWNT's victory over Japan
Rose Lavelle celebrated her 100th start with a goal and an assist to help the U.S. women's national team to a 2-1 win in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday to open a three-match series against Japan.,Lavelle, in her 119th match, scored in the 9th minute off a set piece then set up Lindsey Heaps in the 48...

Wilyer Abreu's HR carries Venezuela into WBC semis over Japan
Wilyer Abreu hit the go-ahead three-run homer in the sixth inning Saturday night for Venezuela, which eliminated defending champion Japan with an 8-5 win in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals in Miami.,Venezuela, the runner-up in Pool D with a 3-1 record, will face Italy in Monday night's semi...

Japan rides 9-run 8th inning in pool-play finale vs. Czechia
Ukyo Shuto belted a three-run homer and Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami added a grand slam to highlight a nine-run eighth inning, lifting Japan to a 9-0 win over Czechia on Tuesday in Tokyo.,The game represented the conclusion of pool play for the teams during the World Baseball Classic....

Japan outlasts Australia, clinches Group C in WBC
Masataka Yoshida belted a two-run homer with two outs in the seventh inning, helping defending champion Japan clinch Group C in pool play of the World Baseball Classic with a 4-3 victory over Australia on Sunday in Tokyo. ,Yoshida was able to come to the plate in the inning after Australia pitcher J...

Seiya Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani help Japan outslug Korea
Seiya Suzuki belted two homers and drew a go-ahead bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning, lifting defending champion Japan to an 8-6 victory over Korea on Saturday in a pool play game during the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.,Masataka Yoshida followed Suzuki's go-ahead free pass with a two-run s...

Shohei Ohtani crushes grand slam as Japan cruises past Taiwan in WBC
Shohei Ohtani belted a grand slam and added an RBI single during a 10-run second inning, fueling defending champion Japan to a 13-0 victory over Taiwan on Friday in a pool play game during the World Baseball Classic in Tokyo.,The 10 runs were the most scored in an inning in WBC history.,Ohtani, who ...

Padres LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) to miss WBC for Japan
San Diego Padres reliever Yuki Matsui will not pitch for Japan in next month's World Baseball Classic due to a groin injury.,The 30-year-old left-hander was ruled out Thursday, about a week after experiencing tightness in his left groin in a batting practice session at spring training.,"It's pretty ...

Padres LHP Yuki Matsui (groin) ailing, could affect WBC availability
Padres left-hander Yuki Matsui experienced tightness in his left groin during a batting practice session on Thursday and is considered day to day, San Diego manager Craig Stammen said Friday.,Matsui had to halt the session after roughly 20 pitches and the club subsequently scratched him from his sch...

Japan’s Nakai on top after women’s short program; Russian dazzles in debut
MILAN -- Japan's Ami Nakai grabbed a surprise lead after the short program at the Olympic women's figure skating competition on Tuesday, edging a field that produced a string of high-quality performances.,The 17-year-old landed a triple Axel in a spirited skate and posted a season-best 78.71 in her ...

Miura, Kihara skate to Japan’s first ever Olympic pairs title
MILAN -- Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara delivered a thrilling comeback at the Milan Cortina Games, storming from fifth place after a shaky short program to capture Japan's first Olympic figure skating pairs title on Monday.,Miura and Kihara scored a whopping 158.13 points -- a world record under the ...

Japan claims gold, silver in men's snowboard big air; US' Ollie Martin 4th
LIVIGNO, Italy -- Japanese snowboarders Kira Kimura and Ryoma Kimata won the gold and silver medals in the men's Big Air snowboarding event at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Saturday, dethroning champion Su Yiming of China with their soaring jumps in the Italian Alps.,Su ended the cold night in the m...

Argentina and Greece sweep United Cup openers
Argentina swept Spain and Greece swept Japan to open the United Cup on Friday in Perth, Australia.,Argentina's Sebastian Baez won the opening match in the mixed-team event with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Jaume Munar. Solana Sierra clinched the Group A win with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory over Jessica Bouzas M...

Hall of Fame golfer Jumbo Ozaki dies at 78
World Golf Hall of Famer Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki of Japan died Tuesday after a battle with colon cancer. He was 78.,Ozaki won 114 tournaments around the world, including a record 94 on the Japan Golf Tour between 1973 and 2002.,"He is an indispensable, one-of-a-kind figure in discussing men's golf, bo...

Shohei Ohtani set to play for champion Japan again in WBC
Shohei Ohtani, a two-time World Series champion, will attempt to add a second World Baseball Classic title to his haul when he competes for the defending champion Japanese team again next year.,The 31-year-old two-way superstar made the announcement Monday on social media that he would again partici...

Kazuma Okamoto, Kona Takahashi posted for MLB teams
Slugger Kazuma Okamoto and right-hander Kona Takahashi became the latest Japanese stars posted for MLB free agency on Thursday.,Both players can negotiate with teams during a 45-day window that opens Friday at 8 a.m. ET. and closes on Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. ET. If either remains unsigned, he would return ...