Rival Japan, who will compete with Korea for the championship in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, also won in a closed practice match.
Japan, led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, won 6-1 against Jordan in a closed friendly match held at Al Ersal Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on the 9th.
The match on this day was not exposed to spectators or media, and was not an official A match.
However, Japan showed unusual momentum by winning nine consecutive international matches and also winning a closed-door evaluation match ahead of the Asian Cup.
According to the Japan Football Association, on this day, Japan replaced all members in the first and second halves.
This is why it was not recognized as an official A match because the number of replacements set by FIFA was exceeded.
Even in this situation, Japan is known to have shown off its power by frequently hitting Jordan’s net from the first half.
Starting with Go Itakura’s (Mönchengladbach) first goal in the 12th minute of the first half
Japan scored four goals in the first half alone, including goals by Keito Nakamura (Reims)
the opponent’s own goal, and Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco).
Japan focused on experimentation by changing all 11 players in the second half
but Takuma Asano (Bochum)’s penalty kick and Daizen Maeda’s (Celtic) additional score put an end to the 6-goal relay.
Japan allowed one goal to Jordan just before the end of the game, but it was not enough to affect the momentum that had started early.
While hiring many players, it appears that they are focusing on local adaptation and consistent conditioning.
In a situation where everyone was changed in the second half, injured players such as Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal) were absent. Wataru Endo (Liverpool) did not play because he was not in normal condition.
After the game, Coach Moriyasu was satisfied with the big win, saying through the Japanese media ‘Soccer King’
It was a game that confirmed how to move as a team in both offense and defense.
I am happy that we played well offensively.”
However, regarding conceding a goal two minutes before the end, he said,
We need to improve because we allowed several decisive opportunities against the opponent’s counterattack.
In the Asian Cup, the opponent strengthens their defense and tries to counterattack with a counterattack, so if our attack is half-hearted
we will give the opponent a chance.” “We can give it a chance. We need to reflect on it,” he said.
Japan is producing outstanding results under Coach Moriyasu’s system.
Coach Moriyasu, who signed a new contract last year in recognition of his performance in advancing to the round of 16 of the FIFA Qatar World Cup 바카라사이트닷컴
created new history by leading Pajuk to 9 consecutive international wins.
Meanwhile, Japan started with the game against El Salvador (6-0) in June, followed by Peru (4-1), Germany (4-1), Turkye (4-2), Canada (4-1), and Tunisia (2-0). , Myanmar (5-0), Syria (5-0), and Thailand (5-0), defeating opponents regardless of continent or power level.
In preparation for the Asian Cup, they showed off their superior skills in the home game on January 1st against Thailand, a powerhouse in Southeast Asia.
Japan gained confidence in winning the Asian Cup by winning nine consecutive international matches.
In the most recent FIFA rankings, the country ranks 17th among AFC countries.
It is assessed that the gap between the starting players and candidates is not large enough to fill the national team’s main strength with European players.
Japan, which receives high scores for organizational skills, is considered the strongest candidate to win this Asian Cup, along with Korea
which has world-class strikers playing for big clubs. Even though the match against Jordan was not an official A match
it is significant that the team maintained a winning streak for 10 games.
Coach Moriyasu said, “In the Asian Cup, we won’t be able to win easily with a large score gap like we have now.
It will be a difficult fight, but we have to fight with strong perseverance.
We will win the game in front of us and set a high goal.
How can we win the Asian Cup?” He expressed caution, saying, “I will worry about whether I will win.”
Klinsmann, who is attempting to win his first championship in 64 years, also picks Japan as the number one target to watch out for.
Moreover, Jordan, whom Japan won this time, is the opponent that Korea will meet in the second round of the group stage
so it is expected that there will be an indirect comparison with regard to winning the Asian Cup.
At the Asian Cup final roster announcement ceremony on December 28 last year
coach Jurgen Klinsmann said of Japan, his archrival, “When I was leading the German national team
I had a special relationship with the Netherlands and England, and with the U.S. national team
I had a special relationship with Mexico. I have high expectations for this kind of rivalry.
We will meet during the tournament and hope to reach the finals if possible.
I am constantly watching Japan’s games. I am thinking about how to prepare.”
While not letting down our guard, he said, “As I keep saying, looking at the condition and performance of our players
we have a good chance of winning the championship.
We are a team capable of winning. Japan is our rival with clear growth recently
but we are fully capable of winning the championship.” emphasized.
Japan was placed in Group D along with Indonesia, Iraq, and Vietnam.
If Korea and Japan, who are in Group E, advance to the round of 16 by finishing first in their group
they can only meet in the finals.
However, if Korea takes first place and Japan takes second place in the group
they will advance to the round of 16, so attention is focused on Japan’s performance in the group stage.