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29 min England win the ball back upfield (both teams have pressed superbly) and Russo shoots from distance.
26 min: Russo hits the post! England should go ahead. Kelly, looking full of confidence, uses the overlapping Charles to not use her and then curls a wicked cross to Russo on the six-yard line. He leans in for a header that hits the outside of the post and goes behind. For someone as good in the air as Russo, this was a huge opportunity.
Updated at 19.32 GMT
25 min Stanway slips Minami carefully on the edge of the box and hits a shot which is well blocked.
24 min Endo wins another corner for Japan on the left. Hasegawa takes another short but then flicks his cross slightly past Sugita, who was unmarked beyond the far post.
22 min Kelly cuts inside from the left and curls in a lovely cross that just eludes Russo in the middle.
19 min Japan are having a good time, passing the ball with purpose and pace. Hasegawa beats Kelly to a loose ball on the edge of the box and fires a good left-footed shot at the near post. Earps drops to his left to make a comfortable stop.
18 min Karen Carney, commentating on ITV, points out that the pitch isn’t the best – slow and a bit uneven. I realize this makes it sound like a day four camp in Ahmedabad.
17 minutes Earps comes in for a Hasegawa corner, misses it and is relieved to see an England player head the ball to safety.
17 min Hasegawa takes a short corner, takes it back and sends a cross beyond the far post. Mead confronts Minami and directs him to another corner.
16 min Hasegawa plays a very dangerous ball inside Charles towards Shimizu, but Charles recovers well to concede a corner with a tackle.
Updated at 19.19 GMT
13 minutes Japan have dominated possession so far – England have had 75 per cent so far.
11 minutes Charles finds Kelly in the space to the left. His early cross is only half-cleared by Kuwagai, and Toone snaps home at the far post. half a chance
10 min Walsh loses the ball to Sugita in a dangerous area. Endo picks up and throws a cross to Iwabuchi, but Morgan gets in front of her to clear her head.
8 min Daly’s speculative shot from distance is blocked; then Walsh, imaginative as ever, tries a needle-eye pass to Mead which is cut down. Mead was offside anyway.
7 min Bright is robbed by Iwabuchi, who comes down the left and curls a low cross towards Sugita (I think). Bright intercepts again.
4 min Mead charges upfield and plays a deep pass to Kelly which Miyake cuts well. England have started well.
Updated at 19.07 GMT
2 min Russo returns the ball to Toone, 25 meters out. She takes a touch and curls a fine effort into the top right corner. Yamashita moves quickly through his line to make a comfortable stop.
Updated at 19.06 GMT
1 min Peep Peep! England, in their stylish bright crimson (sic) change strip, will start from right to left as we watch. Japan are blue.
There is a false start when Ella Toone throws the pitch and then remembers that players are supposed to take their knee. Let’s try again.
Updated at 19.03 GMT
Today is Remembrance Day, so players from both sides gather around the center circle to pay tribute to those who have lost their lives in conflict.
England and Japan players pay their respects as they observe 2 minutes silence for Remembrance Day. Photograph: Naomi Baker/The FA/Getty Images
Updated at 19.22 GMT
Ten minutes to start. England will be happy for it to be a relatively cool and blustery night in Murcia, as the general expectation is that Japan will have plenty of the ball.
Updated at 19.01 GMT
Pre-match reading
Team news
Esme Morgan and Niamh Charles will make their first full caps in defense for England, who are without Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood.
Beth Mead earns her 50th cap, and Arsenal team-mate Mana Iwabuchi starts for Japan.
England (possible 4-1-4-1) Earps; Daly, Bright, Morgan, Charles; Walsh; Mead, Stanway, Toone, Kelly; Russo.Substitutes: James, Roebuck, Zelem, Wubben-Moy, Le Tissier, Parris, Park, Salmon, Robinson, MacIver, George.
Japan (possible 3-4-3) Yamashita; Miyake, Kumagai, Minami; Shimizu, Sugita, Nagano, Endo; Hasegawa, Iwabuchi, Miyazawa. , Ohba, Fujino
Referee Zuzana Valentova (Slovakia).
Updated at 19.17 GMT
preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the international friendly between England and Japan in Murcia. This and the game against Norway on Tuesday are the last of a year that may never be bettered. His record in 2022 is more than spectacular: 18 games, 15 wins, no defeats, 67 goals and a 60 cm trophy.
England’s glorious European Championship victory is a thing of the past for Sarina Wiegman, who is looking to add a World Cup to her already formidable CV. England have not taken the easy option in their preparations – they beat world champions USA last month before drawing with the Czech Republic – and now face one of Asia’s best. Japan is 11th in the world ranking after England fourth. With a number of key players missing, it is another opportunity for Wiegman to assess England’s depth.
These two have played each other at the last four World Cups, although the draw for next year’s tournament means they can only meet again in the final. England won in the group stages in 2011 and 2019, there was a manic draw in 2007 and an unforgettable semi-final in 2015, when Laura Bassett’s own goal put Japan in the final.
The stakes are much lower tonight, but there are far worse ways to spend a Friday night.
Start at 19:00 GMT, 20:00 CET, 4:00 am JST