Japan walk off a dangerous pitch in Mexico, then decamp to Nashville

Japan abandoned their Monterrey training base after the pitch turned out hard, uneven and unsafe. A 48-hour scramble and a rival club’s help later, the Samurai Blue have settled in Nashville for Group F.

Japan did not like what they found in Monterrey. The Samurai Blue arrived to train at a Tigres UANL facility and met a pitch that was hard, uneven and patched with loose dirt. Rather than risk injuries days before a World Cup, they walked away, as ESPN reported.

The fix took two attempts. The team first moved to a field set aside for Japan's under-19s, but recent bad weather had left that one poor too. They settled on El Barrial, the training ground of Tigres' city rivals Monterrey and a FIFA-approved base, The Japan Times reported.

The episode embarrassed the hosts. Videos of the worn pitch spread across Mexican social media, and the criticism fell on Tigres for offering a newly opened facility in that condition. Japan's technical director Masakuni Yamamoto kept it diplomatic: "We came to this conclusion because we searched for a better environment."

Then they left early. Japan wrapped up the Mexican leg and flew to their long-term base in Nashville, Tennessee, arriving on 8 June. Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo were among those back on the grass for the first sessions there, as local coverage noted.

On the pitch, Japan sit in Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia and Sweden. In Kenyan time, they open against the Netherlands on 14 June at 23:00 EAT in Dallas, face Tunisia on 21 June at 07:00 EAT in Monterrey, and finish against Sweden on 26 June at 02:00 EAT in Dallas.

It is a smaller story than visas or ticket prices, but it fits the pattern: even one of the tournament's best-run teams has spent the build-up firefighting off the field. For African fans, Tunisia's meeting with Japan on 21 June is the one to circle in Group F.