Japan beat Uruguay 3-1 late on in Diego Forlán's debut

Japan beat Uruguay 3-1 in a friendly at the Miyagi Stadium, scoring twice in stoppage time to spoil Diego Forlán's first match in charge of the senior side.

Forlán, the former Villarreal and Atlético de Madrid forward, is interim coach. He normally works with the Under-20s. Uruguay lined up in a 4-4-2 with Santiago Mele, the 29-year-old Monterrey goalkeeper, behind a back four of Nahitan Nández, Ronald Araújo, Mathías Olivera and Juan Manuel Sanabria. Darwin Núñez and Federico Viñas played up front.

Uruguay began the better side. Japan goalkeeper Tomoki Hayakawa saved a central shot from Viñas outside the area in the eighth minute. Three minutes later Kuryu Matsuki put the hosts ahead from distance, finishing into the left corner after a pass from Keito Nakamura.

Hayakawa then stopped an effort from Núñez, and Maxi Araújo levelled on 42 minutes with a shot through the centre of the goal. The Sporting winger, on the left of midfield, stayed on until the 84th minute, when Facundo Pellistri replaced him.

Japan, coached by Hajime Moriyasu, pressed for much of the second half but created little clear danger against a defence that sat deeper as the game wore on. Rodrigo Zalazar, also of Sporting, came on for Brian Rodríguez on 68 minutes on the right and tested Hayakawa with a hard shot.

The breakthrough came late. Kento Shiogai, a 21-year-old forward, scored in the second minute of stoppage time, and Ayase Ueda added a third in the seventh.

Uruguay conceded twice in the final minutes of a match they had held level for most of the second half. If Forlán stays in the post beyond this fixture, that late collapse is the first thing he will have to address.