England vs. Japan outcome: Mitoma’s goal secures win for visitors — recap of the match

On Tuesday evening, England suffered a defeat at Wembley against Japan, as Kaoru Mitoma made history for the visiting team, achieving their inaugural victory over The Three Lions.

The home side saw the return of several key players, but the absence of Harry Kane was evident, as England struggled to find the back of the net.

This match served as the final opportunity for Thomas Tuchel to evaluate potential candidates for a spot on the roster heading to the U.S., Mexico, and Canada this summer, as the World Cup approaches.

Here is how the match unfolded.

For the match against Uruguay, Tuchel excluded 11 players to allow them to recuperate after extensive play with their club teams this season.

Most of these players have now returned to the selection pool, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka being the exceptions, as they were sent back to Arsenal to recover from injuries.

Additionally, Tuchel returned Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Fikayo Tomori, and Aaron Ramsdale to their clubs, indicating they will not be included in the squad for the summer.

Adam Wharton from Crystal Palace, Noni Madueke from Arsenal, and John Stones from Manchester City were also sent back to their respective clubs after sustaining injuries either during the draw with Uruguay or in training.

Ben White netted England’s only goal in the friendly against Uruguay on Friday night, before Federico Valverde equalized with a penalty in the 94th minute.

Tuchel is set to announce a 26-man squad for the summer.