'A real shame' - Diego Forlan laments late defensive lapses as Japan strike twice in added time to spoil Uruguay debut

Forlan suffered a cruel introduction to international management as his side fell to a deflating 3-1 defeat in Miyagi. Kuryu Matsuki pounced early to put the hosts ahead, but Maximiliano Araujo struck back on the stroke of half-time to cap off a gritty Uruguayan response. However, total defensive disarray in stoppage time allowed Kento Shiogai and Ayase Ueda to fire past Santiago Mele and steal the result.

Facing the media after the final whistle, the new Celeste boss admitted he had expected nothing less than an uphill battle against a coach he crossed paths with during his playing days in the J.League.

Hailing Hajime Moriyasu's well-drilled side, Forlan noted: "We played against a national team whose coach I know well; I faced him during my time at Sanfrecce Hiroshima. He loves combinations, he sets up his teams very well, and the time he has spent in charge of the national team really shows."

Dissecting an evenly poised contest ruined by a momentary switch-off, he added: "It was a very evenly contested match; it's a real shame that they capitalised on those chances in stoppage time to end up winning the game."

While stepping into Bielsa's shoes with an opening defeat stings, the former Manchester United striker was adamant that the scoreline did his players a massive disservice.

Defending his squad after their draining trans-Pacific flight, Forlan told reporters: "It is quite a wide margin considering how the game played out. We had several goal-scoring opportunities in both the first and second half. I am very grateful to the players because they made a massive effort after the exhausting journey to get here. That was evident on the pitch and they performed very well, but unfortunately, football is like that and the score doesn't reflect what the game actually was. But those are the rules of the game and you have to accept them."

There is no time to nurse any wounds, with Uruguay facing a testing trip to meet South Korea in Seoul on Monday, September 28. That second tour stop will test the squad's physical reserves as they continue to shake off significant travel fatigue.