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Daichi Kamada Wins Kirin Cup With Japan
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- Daichi Kamada Wins Kirin Cup With Japan
Crystal Palace's midfield magician Daichi Kamada has won yet another trophy, adding to the three the Japanese international has won with Palace over the last two years.
Across the course of the international break, Kamada and Japan have been competing in the 2026 edition of the tournament, and were victorious for the 12th time in the tournament's 48 year history.
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Kamada started the final and played the best part of eighty minutes, replaced by Lyon's Keito Nakamura, who will face Palace in just a week's time when Palace travel to south-eastern France.
What is the Kirin Cup?
Since 1978, Japan has hosted a mid-season tournament between different sides. At one point, both national teams and club sides were competing in the tournament against each other, but since 2016, it has become a knockout tournament between four national sides.
Credit - IMAGO / AFLOSPORT
Japan has won 12 times in the tournament's history, which began as a league phase where each side played one another, before that format changed to a knockout style exhibition.
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Since the change from a round robin style tournament, Japan hadn't won, until this year.
The sides competing this year included Japan as hosts, New Zealand, Ecuador and Panama.
Path to glory and Kamada's role
Japan were drawn against Ecuador in the first game, which essentially acts as a semi-final. Japan dominated the game in normal time but were unable to find a goal, Daichi Kamada replacing Leeds United's Ao Tanaka in the 68th minute.
The game went to penalties after 90 minutes, and Kamada stepped up second to convert, as Japan went on to win the shootout 5-4, converting all of their spot kicks as Zion Suzuki saved Ecuador's third penalty.
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That win set up a final with New Zealand, who had beaten Panama 5-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in normal time.
Kamada was chosen to start the game, and played the majority of the match, replaced in the 78th minute with Japan 2-1 to the good.
Despite completely dominating the game and limiting New Zealand to just three attempts on goal, Japan won narrowly, as they lifted the Kirin Cup for the first time since 2011.
Credit - IMAGO / AFLOSPORT
Kamada speaks on Japanese future
After Japan's World Cup exit to Brazil, Kamada sparked controversy back home when saying that his nation would never be able to dream of World Cup glory unless football became the country's primary sport.
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During this training camp, he spoke about the future of the Japanese national team, with an extended squad which featured a number of the country's exciting young talents.
"It's impossible to always compete with the same lineup and personnel," he told the Japan FA's website .
"Just as I was once young, there will be many players in the future who will lead Japan's national team. However, having potential and achieving results for the national team are two different things. I think the young players who join us are mentally strong, and such players are very important to the team, so I myself don't want to fall behind them."
Kamada will likely be selected for Japan's squad for the AFC Asian Cup, which will take place from the first week of January until as long as the 5th of February, should Japan reach the final as they will be hoping to do.
