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When the USA and Japan last faced off in an international friendly

The USA and Japan face off on Friday, September 23 in a friendly ahead of the World Cup.

Gregg Berhalter, Head Coach of Team United States sings their national anthem prior to the International Friendly match between Japan and United States at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 23, 2022 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Photo by Christof Koepsel/Getty Images

The United States and Japan are playing an international friendly on Friday, September 23 as both squads prepare for the upcoming 2022 World Cup. The match gets started at 8:25 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and is taking place at Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany.

This marks the third time the two national teams have faced off in competition. The first time they met was March 14, 1993 in the Kirin Japan Cup, which Japan won 3-1. They met again in an international friendly on February 10, 2006, which the USA won 3-2.

The USA is ranked No. 14 in the world while Japan is No. 24. Both squads will be in Qatar this winter for the World Cup, albeit in separate groups. The US will play in a group that includes England, Iran, and Wales. Japan will play in a group that includes Spain, Germany, and Costa Rica.

For this match, Japan is the favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook. They are +130 to win while the USA is +210. A draw is +240.