England’s 1-0 defeat to Japan in a friendly at Wembley Stadium tonight (Tuesday 31 March) highlighted the potential of two Brighton and Hove Albion players.
Kaoru Mitoma scored the only goal of the game in the 23rd minute after taking the ball from Cole Palmer.
The Albion winger led the Japan counter-attack, surging into the England half and sending the ball out wide to Keito Nakamura on the left.
Ayase Ueda raced forward, drawing England defenders to him and leaving space for Mitoma to drift in behind and effectively pass Nakamura’s cross into the England goal.
If Mitoma proved England’s undoing, another Brighton player was notable by his absence, especially with Harry Kane missing through injury.
Danny Welbeck may now be 35 – three years older than Kane – but the Albion forward is the top-scoring English player in the Premier League so far this season.
Welbeck picked up the last of his 42 England caps in 2018 but his form this season has prompted talk of a revival of his international career.
But he didn’t even make the 35-man squad named by England boss Thomas Tuchel who fielded Phil Foden tonight as a “false nine”. Brighton fans already know how capable Welbeck is in that role.
Incidentally, Mitoma was one of the players who strung together a sequence of passes that led to the only goal of the game against Scotland at Hampden Park on Saturday (28 March).
At Wembley tonight, former Brighton defenders Ben White and Dan Burn both saw action while Albion’s stalwart reserve goalkeeper Jason Steele was on the bench.
Twenty-year-old Jack Hinshelwood was omitted from the England squad – and perhaps the match tonight was a good one to miss.
Tuchel will have a lot to think about as he steps up his World Cup preparations.
Meanwhile, Albion fans will be hoping that Welbeck, Hinsh and co shine at Turf Moor where they are due to play Burnley in their next match on Saturday 11 April.
