Overview

• The United States secured its 11th title with a 2–0 victory at Okinawa Cellular Stadium Naha, handing Japan its first defeat of the tournament.
• Japan reached the final on an eight-game winning streak after a 6–2 extra-inning tiebreak win over the U.S., a 6–5 walk-off against Panama, and a 9–1 win against Taiwan.
• Japan emphasized small-ball and depth, leading in sacrifice bunts, ranking near the top in steals, featuring a leadoff hitter with a tournament-best on-base rate, and recording a 0.86 team ERA.
• Manager Masayoshi Ogura lauded the team’s unity and acknowledged earlier bullpen decisions that backfired, highlighting players’ resilience through tight games.
• The event concluded a 10-day home tournament for Japan, which entered as the 2023 champion and finished second in its first U-18 World Cup hosted domestically in a decade.