Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer regrets their inability to finish chances in the 1-0 preseason loss to Cerezo Osaka on Wednesday.
Solomon Sakuragawa's eighth-minute strike was enough to down the Black and Yellow, who lost for the second friendly match in a row.
They had just one shot on target while four other attempts flew wide as Serhou Guirassy and co. were unable to hit the broadside of the barn on a frustrating afternoon in their first clash of the Japan tour.
Meyer, who started in goal for a third consecutive game for the BVB, lauded 'strong' Osaka as they managed to make the Bundesliga giants walk the extra mile.
"“Of course, we were already familiar with the conditions from previous years, but when you’re back out on the field here and have to hold your own against a strong opponent, it really took a lot out of us.""Meyer said after the clash
Osaka came flying out of the blocks in the clash but went in front only from a corner. Takumi Nakamura played it short and received the ball back before whipping a delicious cross inside the box for Sakuragawa, who rose high enough to connect with it, and head it beyond Meyer from close-range.
They kept asking questions of the Dortmund backline while at the other end, Justin Lerma curled a nice-looking shot wide while Guirassy failed to connect with a superb layoff from Takato Yamamoto. Substitute Fabio Silva also spurned a good opportunity in the second half as Dortmund were ultimately left to rue their missed chances.
""In the second half, we got into the game better and had some good chances. I think a draw would have been deserved in the end, but the ball just wouldn’t go in.""added Meyer
Japan shows love for Dortmund
The match was attended by over 45,000 spectators and many of them were BVB supporters as they cheered for their club from the stands.
While it ultimately ended in disappointment, Meyer hailed them for their friendly nature towards the players although it's something they have already experienced before.
""The people here are very positive and very friendly toward us. Many are Dortmund fans. We already experienced that two years ago.”"said Meyer
Meyer here is refering to Dortmund's 2024 visit of Japan, their last preseason trip to the country when the side beat Cerezo Osaka 3-2, contrary to the dismal show yesterday.
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