Japan defeats Venezuela 2-1 in controversial Hiroshima friendly

Japan defeated Venezuela 2-1 in an international friendly held at the Edion Peace Wing in Hiroshima. The match was marked by significant controversy regarding VAR decisions in the final minutes.

Venezuela took the lead in the 46th minute when Kevin Kelsy scored following an assist from Luis Balbo. Japan responded quickly in the 49th minute, with Ayase Ueda equalizing after receiving a cross from Junya Ito.

The decisive moment occurred during stoppage time. While the referee initially signaled a penalty in favor of Venezuela following a challenge on Jesús Ramírez, a VAR review overturned the decision. The review identified a prior foul by Yangel Herrera on Takefusa Kubo, resulting in a penalty for Japan instead. Ayase Ueda converted the penalty to secure the victory for the hosts.

Following the match, Venezuelan coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo and defender Jon Aramburu expressed strong indignation, labeling the officiating and the VAR intervention as disrespectful and suggesting the match was prepared to favor the host nation.