Diego Forlán probably imagined a different start to his return to the forefront of Uruguayan football. In his first match in charge of the senior national team, the former international saw Uruguay lose 3-1 to Japan on Thursday in Miyagi.
Named interim coach after La Celeste's elimination in the first round of the 2026 World Cup and Marcelo Bielsa's departure, Forlán chose a starting eleven built around Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and an attacking duo of Darwin Núñez and Federico Viñas.
The Uruguayan coach had said before the match that he expected a difficult game against a Japanese team he considered particularly well organised.
A game of contrasts over 90 minutes
Japan quickly confirmed those difficulties. Kuryu Matsuki opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a strike from outside the box. For the Japanese midfielder, it was also his first goal for the national team.
Uruguay, however, responded before half-time. Maximiliano Araújo equalised in the 42nd minute after a move involving Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Torreira. La Celeste then showed greater attacking presence and could have taken the lead before half-time, which allowed Forlán to head into the break with an encouraging response from his players after Japan's opener.
The second half proved more balanced. Both coaches made several changes, which gradually altered the rhythm of the match. Forlán notably brought on:
- José María Giménez
- Giorgian De Arrascaeta
- Rodrigo Aguirre
- Facundo Pellistri
- Joaquín Piquerez
Uruguay had chances to take the lead. Darwin Núñez was particularly involved in La Celeste's attacking sequences, while Bentancur was used as a pivot point in the build-up.
Bentancur, key piece of the playing project
After the match, Forlán specifically highlighted his midfielder's ability to play both short and long passes.
'Bentancur is a player with enormous ability, both in short and long play,' explained the new coach.
Forlán had also explained before the match that his team had enough different profiles to vary its play. He had mentioned players capable of playing in behind, but also the possibility of using short sequences to draw out the opposing defence and then attack the space left behind. On the pitch, Uruguay indeed alternated between these two approaches.
A collapse in stoppage time
But the problem appeared in the final minutes. Just as the match seemed headed for a draw, Japan capitalised on a defensive lapse to retake the lead in stoppage time.
Kento Shiogai scored Japan's second goal in the 90th+2 minute. A few minutes later, Ayase Ueda sealed the match definitively in the 90th+6 minute with an assist from Junya Ito.
The final 3-1 scoreline thus turned into a defeat a match that Forlán felt was much more balanced than the result suggests.
'It's disappointing that, in stoppage time, they took advantage of the chances they had to win,' said the Uruguayan coach after the match.
Forlán also felt the result was too harsh a punishment given the content produced by his team.
'We had several goalscoring chances, both in the first and second half,' he explained, while praising his players' efforts after the long trip to Japan.
The coach therefore did not present this defeat as solely a problem of attacking output. His analysis focused more on how the match unfolded and on his team's ability to better manage decisive moments. It was precisely in that area that Japan made the difference: Hajime Moriyasu's side waited until the final minutes to turn the match around, scoring two goals after the 90th minute.
A first task already identified
For Forlán, this first experience with the senior national team therefore already represents a first task to address. Uruguay will need to improve its management of match endings, while continuing to develop the playing principles announced by its new coach.
The former striker is already familiar with part of this environment. Before taking charge of the senior team, he was in charge of Uruguay's U20 side. He had also coached Peñarol and Atenas at club level. This appointment nonetheless represents a new stage in his career.
Forlán also knows Japan particularly well. A former Cerezo Osaka player, he spent part of his career in the Japanese league. His first match as Uruguay coach therefore took place in a country he already knows.
The context of his appointment is nonetheless a particular one. Uruguay is coming off a 2026 World Cup that ended in elimination at the group stage. The national team must now open a new cycle, and Forlán has several matches to put his first ideas in place.
The match against Japan was the first step. It ended in defeat, but Forlán took away some positive elements from the performance.
'The players made a huge effort,' he stressed after the match.
The next fixture will already be an interesting one to gauge his team's response: Uruguay will face South Korea on 28 September in Seoul. Forlán will then have the opportunity to continue his work with a group he is still getting to know, and to fix the problems that emerged in this first outing.
Against Japan, his Uruguay side held on for almost 90 minutes. It had even managed to come back after falling behind. But two Japanese goals in stoppage time ultimately doomed his debut.
For Forlán, the first lesson is clear: the work begins immediately.
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