Japan will lock horns against Canada at the Denka Big Swan Stadium on Friday in an international friendly.
After an impressive showing at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the golden generation of Japan have maintained their strong form as they continue their preparations for the AFC Asian Cup next year, winning their last four games.
Ranked 19th in the latest FIFA World Rankings, the hosts are coming off a successful September international break, as they followed up their 4-1 hammering of Germany with a 4-2 demolition job of Turkey in their last match.
Canada, meanwhile, haven’t played since July 2023 when they were beaten on penalties by the United States after playing out a 2-2 draw after extra time in the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final.
With the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinals on the horizon, the visitors will be looking to get back to winning ways in what will be Les Rouges' first match under interim head coach Mauro Biello, who took over after longtime coach John Herdman left for Toronto FC in late August.
Here GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
Japan vs Canada kick-off time
| Date: | October 13, 2023 |
| Kick-off time: | 6:35 am ET/3:35 am PT |
| Venue: | Denka Big Swan Stadium |
The International Friendly match between Japan and Canada will be played at the Denka Big Swan Stadium in Niigata, Japan. It will kick off at6:35am ET/3:35am PTon Friday, October 13, 2023.
How to watch Japan vs Canada online - TV channels & live streams
 | GOAL | Live updates |
The game will not be broadcast live on TV and is not available to stream online in the United States. However, you can catch the live updates on GOAL.
Team news & squads
Japan team news
Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma has been left out of Japan's squad with an unspecified injury, but there's still a lot of quality in the hosts' squad. Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu, AS Monaco's Takumi Minamino and Liverpool's Wataru Endo are all expected to feature in some capacity, as is Celtic duo Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate.
Japan have a lot of attacking talent in their current squad, capable of doing some damage on Canada's backline. But one man that looks most likely to cause problems is Takefuso Kubo, who has had a blistering start to the season with Real Sociedad, producing five goals and an assist in eight La Liga outings.
Predicted Japan XI: Osako; Maikuma, Taniguchi, Tomiyasu, H. Ito; Endo, Tanaka; Kubo, Minamino, J. Ito; Furuhashi
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Maekawa, Osako, Suzuki |
| Defenders: | Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Nakayama, Machida, Maikuma, Tomiyasu, Ito, Hashioka, Sugawara, Yoshida |
| Midfielders: | Endo, J. Ito, Morita, Tanaka, Morishita, Kamada |
| Forwards: | Nakamura, Kubo, Doan, A. Ito, Asano, Furuhashi, Ueda, Hatate, Minamino |
Canada team news
Midfielder Stephen Eustaquio has withdrawn from the squad due to injury; Fulham teenager Luc de Fourferolles has received his first call-up after choosing Canada over England, while Mauro Biello's 23-man roster includes 10 MLS players, including Vancouver Whitecaps fullback Richie Laryea, and Montreal midfielder Mathieu Choinière.
European-based players stars such as Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) and the striker duo of Jonathan David (Lille) and Cyle Larin (Mallorca), who were rested in the Gold Cup, are also back in the squad. With this being the only game of the international break for Canada, expect Biello to field a strong XI on the pitch.
Canada predicted lineup: Borjan; Johnston, Vitoria, Adekugbe; Laryea, Kone, Eustaquio, Osorio, Davies; Larin, David
| Position | Players |
|---|---|
| Goalkeepers: | Borjan, Crépeau, St. Clair |
| Defenders: | Bombito, Cornelius, Vitoria, Miller, Fougerolles, Johnston, Adekugbe, Laryea, Davies |
| Midfielders: | Choinière, Kone, Osario, Paton, Eustáquio, Patton, Piette, Hoilett, Millar |
| Forwards: | Byrm, Larin, Davies |
Head-to-Head Record
This will be the fourth meeting between these two sides, with Canada winning the most recent fixture, in the lead-up to the World Cup last year.
| Date | Match | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| 17/11/22 | Japan 1-2 Canada | International Friendly |
| 22/3/13 | Japan 2-1 Canada | International Friendly |
| 31/5/01 | Japan 3-0 Canada | International Friendly |