"Let's hold the Korea-Japan soccer match regularly again": A surprising proposal from a former Japanese national team player

*This content was translated by AI.

Maesono Masakiyo (53), a former Japanese national team player who also played in the K-League during his playing days, proposed that Korea and Japan should resume holding regular A-team soccer matches between the two nations. He argued that regularly scheduling friendly matches between Korea and Japan would benefit both countries.

On the 28th, through the Tokyo Sports Internet edition, Maesono said, "Since the period for FIFA-designated A-matches is fixed, it is important to strengthen our teams as efficiently as possible within that timeframe. Ultimately, we need to play many high-quality friendly matches. The Korea-Japan match would also help in strengthening our team."

He added, "In the past, there were regular Korea-Japan matches, but they have not been held recently. As a rivalry match, each game receives national attention and strict evaluation. However, for the Japanese national team, experiencing the pressure of playing an away match in Seoul, or conversely, the atmosphere of never losing at home, would all be important elements in strengthening their team."

Maesono stated, "Park Ji-sung (Chairman of the K-Soccer Reform Committee) is now at the center of reform in Korea, involved in youth development and strengthening the national team. Therefore, there is a possibility that the format of past regular Korea-Japan matches could be accepted again. Holding regular Korea-Japan soccer matches would certainly bring benefits to Korean soccer as well."

Maesono was a player who represented Japan in the mid-1990s. His A-match record stands at 19 games and 4 goals. He played for Yokohama Flügels, Tokyo Verdy, and other clubs before retiring after playing for Anyang LG (now FC Seoul) in 2003 and Incheon United in 2004. He had direct experience of Korea-Japan matches through the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games quarterfinals and the Hong Kong Dynasty Cup.

The regular Korea-Japan matches began in 1972 in Tokyo, Japan, and were held alternately between Korea and Japan for a period. They were sometimes held annually, other times every four years or twice in a single year. After the final matchup in 1991, the "regular Korea-Japan match" disappeared from both nations' soccer histories. Although friendly matches between Korea and Japan continued to be held afterward, they were no longer regular fixtures.

The last Korea-Japan match outside of a tournament was a friendly held in March 2021 in Yokohama, Japan. At the time, the coach was Paulo Bento (Portugal), who employed a tactic using Lee Kang-in as a false nine but suffered a heavy 0-3 defeat and faced severe criticism. The all-time record for Korea-Japan soccer matches stands at 42 wins, 23 draws, and 17 losses in favor of Korea. However, since the 2021 friendly match through the 2025 EAFF E-1 Football Championship (East Asian Cup), Korea has suffered three consecutive defeats.

Korea's last victory in a Korea-Japan soccer match was a 1-0 win at the E-1 Football Championship held in Busan in 2019. The last time Korea won against Japan with its top-tier players, including those from European leagues, was a 2-0 victory in Saitama, Japan, in 2010. That was the match where Park Ji-sung scored the opening goal and performed the so-called "walk-around celebration."

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*This content was translated by AI.