Japan's Ryo Germain completes his hat trick in the 22nd minute against Hong Kong in an East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship match on July 8, 2025, in Yongin, South Korea. (©KYODO)
The Japan men's national soccer squad began defense of its East Asian Football Federation E-1 Championship with a 6-1 thrashing of Hong Kong on Tuesday, July 8.
Also competing in the tournament's four-nation final round, which was most recently held in 2022, are host South Korea and China.
In Yongin, South Korea, Sanfrecce Hiroshima forward Ryo Germain led Japan with four first-half goals in the rout.
Germain, a 30-year-old player for the J.League's Sanfrecce Hiroshima, made his first appearance with the national team a memorable one. He scored in the fourth, 10th, 22nd and 26th minutes. In doing so, he matched a Japan record for most goals by a debutant. Takeo Wakabayashi had four goals in his national team debut in May 1930.
Sho Inagaki, a Nagoya Grampus midfielder, chipped in with a 20th-minute tally, and the Samurai Blue took a 5-0 lead into halftime.
Hong Kong's Matt Orr made it 5-1 in the 59th minute, while Sota Nakamura, who also earned his first cap, completed the scoring for Japan in second-half injury time.
Before getting ready for Japan’s next match, manager Hajime Moriyasu highlighted the key takeaways from the team’s convincing win over Hong Kong.
"Germain delivered what we wanted most, which was goals," Moriyasu said, according to Kyodo News. "Many players got their first cap. The whole team gained experience."
Up next: Japan faces China on Saturday night, July 12. Kickoff at 7:24 PM JST (China lost 3-0 to South Korea in the tourney opener.)
After facing China, Japan awaits a July 15 match with South Korea to close out the tournament.
Elements of Success for Japan in This Soccer Match
Germain, who has four goals in the 2025 J.League season, spoke after the match about his stellar performance and the vital support he received from his teammates.
"I think I was able to demonstrate how explosive I can be," Germain said of his four-goal effort. "In previous J.League matches, I lacked accuracy with my first shots but scoring that first goal today gave me momentum and confidence."
Germain, who was born in Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture, to American and Japanese parents, said there was solid synergy for the Samurai Blue on offense.
"I feel that I fulfilled my role as a striker, but Taisei [Miyashiro] was instrumental in setting up plays with great interplay alongside [Yuki] Soma," Germain told reporters. "[Yuki] Kakita also worked tirelessly to disrupt the defenders.
"It just so happened that I was the one who put the ball in the net, but the quality of the build-up plays around me really made the difference."
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Baseball
Yoshida Goes 3-for-4 in His 1st MLB Game of the Season
Masataka Yoshida returned to the Boston Red Sox lineup for the first time in the 2025 MLB season on Wednesday, July 9. Batting sixth as the designated hitter against the Colorado Rockies, Yoshida went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI in the Red Sox's 10-2 rout at Fenway Park. It was Boston's sixth win in a row.
"It's been a long journey, but I was able to hit a fastball back on the count I was aiming for (a 2-0 pitch) in my first at-bat," Yoshida said, according to NHK. "I got off to a good start."
The Red Sox activated Yoshida (right shoulder) from the 60-day injured list on Wednesday. He recently completed an injury rehab assignment for Boston's Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.
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Hanshin Tigers Extend Winning Streak to 11
The title-chasing Hanshin Tigers won their 11th consecutive NPB game on Thursday, July 10, rallying for a 6-3 road victory over the Hiroshima Carp.
Hanshin scored five runs in the seventh inning to secure a come-from-behind win at Mazda Zoom-Zoom Stadium. Shota Morishita delivered a two-run double to right-center with two outs, and three of his Tigers teammates also drove in runs in the big rally.
Tigers leadoff hitter Koji Chikamoto and Takumu Nakano, Morishita and Teruaki Sato, the team's second, third and fourth hitters in the lineup, combined to go 6-for-18 and drove in five runs collectively.
"The top of the [Hanshin] lineup is really great," radio commentator Sohachi Aniya said on Nippon Broadcasting System during the game, the website Baseball King reported.
"We have a good balance of pitching and hitting," Aniya added. "It's wonderful. Especially the pitching. The starters are good, but the relievers are very good. Most of them can reach 150 kph [with their fastball]."
With the win, Hanshin improved to 49-31-2 and extended its lead in the Central League to 9½ games over a trio of rivals ― the Yomiuri Giants (39-40-3), the Yokohama DeNA BayStars (37-38-4) and Hiroshima (37-38-4).
Nakashima Ties Triples Record Set by Nagashima
In other baseball news, Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles outfielder Daisuke Nakashima matched an NPB record set by the late Yomiuri Giants legend Shigeo Nagashima on Wednesday, hitting a triple in his fourth consecutive game. Nakashima recorded the three-bagger in the sixth inning against the Saitama Seibu Lions at Belluna Dome.
"I ran as hard as I could," Nakashima said of his hit to left-center, Sports Hochi reported.
What does matching a record set by Nagashima in 1960 mean to Nakashima?
"The fact that everyone still knows him means he was a true superstar," Nakashima said, according to Sports Hochi. "It's only the triples record, but I'm very honored to be able to say it (my name) together with [his]."
The Eagles beat the Lions 2-0 in Nakashima's record-tying game.
Nakashima, 24, made his NPB debut with Rakuten in 2024.
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Boxing
'Monster' Inoue to Fight Akhmadaliev on September 14
The date of undisputed super bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue's next title fight was officially announced on Thursday, July 10.
Inoue (30-0, 27 knockouts) will put his four championship belts on the line against Uzbek challenger Murodjon Akhmadaliev (14-1, 11 KOs) on September 14 at Nagoya's IG Arena.
"I think I will be fully prepared for the challenge," the 32-year-old Inoue said, according to Kyodo News. "I'm going to get a win."
In his most recent bout, Inoue earned an eight-round technical knockout of Ramon Cardenas on May 4 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. After that fight, Inoue said he would hold his next bout in September.
Akhmadaliev, 30, is coming off an eighth-round KO of Luis Castillo on May 30 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Basketball
Former NBA Center Okafor Joins Levanga Hokkaido
Center Jahlil Okafor, the No 3 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, has signed a contract to play for the B.League's Levanga Hokkaido.
The Levanga announced the signing on Monday, July 7.
Hokkaido won only 21 of 60 games in the 2024-25 season, and the team is rebuilding this offseason. Japanese guard Keisei Tominaga, who played sparingly in the NBA G League last season, recently finalized a contract with the team for the 2025-26 season.
"Excited to begin my next chapter in Japan," Okafor said in a statement. "Basketball's booming there, and I'm grateful to join a culture known for its passion, discipline and class. Let's work!"
The 211-cm Okafor brings extensive experience from his NBA career (2015-2021 and one game for the Indiana Pacers in the 2024-25 season) to the B.League. In 248 games (116 starts) for the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons and Pacers, he averaged 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game.
In the 2015-16 season, Okafor was an NBA All-Rookie Team selection, averaging 17.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks.
He's also suited up for pro teams in China and Puerto Rico.
The 29-year-old Chicago native played one season at Duke University before turning pro. In April 2015, in the NCAA championship game against the University of Wisconsin, he scored 10 points in the Blue Devils' 68-63 victory in Indianapolis.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
