Japan is confident that they will outperform their previous best and advance to the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time, even though they were put in a very challenging group. After steadily advancing to become one of Asia’s football powerhouses in recent years, Japan is hoping to reach new heights in Qatar. The draw put the Samurai Blue in a relatively challenging group, which slightly lessened fan elation over the team’s straightforward qualification.
Former FIFA World Cup TM champions Germany and Spain are waiting for them in Group E, with Costa Rica filling the final spot after their victory in the inter-confederation play-offs.
Japan Team
For Japan, making it to the quarterfinals will be a major accomplishment. And although just making it through the group stage will be a challenge, the team and supporters are optimistic and excited for the chance to compete against the best teams in the world.
The Strategy and Methods of Hajime Moriyasu
In the J. League at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Moriyasu began his illustrious coaching career. He won three championships in six years after taking over as their coach in 2012. At Hiroshima, he alternated between a 4-3-3 and a 5-4-1 formation, and his team adopted a possession-based strategy while trying to advance the ball by taking advantage of open space.
Since taking over as the head coach of the national team, he has adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation that, when the team is not in possession, transitions more into a 4-4-2 with the No. 10 moving up to the front line. His team can occasionally struggle with attack ideas, unlike his Hiroshima days, leaving them dependent on the talent of specific players to eke out opportunities.
Key Player Takumi Minamino
Fans have grown accustomed to seeing displays of attacking talent since the team’s first World Cup appearance in France in 1998. Takumi Minamino is the ideal fit for this type of player and plans to follow in the footsteps of Hidetoshi Nakata, Keisuke Honda, and Shinji Kagawa.
After scoring ten goals in the Asian qualifiers, tying Yuya Osako’s all-time high, the 27-year-old is anticipated to wear the No. 10 shirt in Qatar and will be essential to Moriyasu’s plans.
Although he had trouble keeping up with some of the finest attackers in the world at Liverpool, he was a more than a capable backup option for Jurgen Klopp’s team. the season of 2021/2. 2 He gained a great deal of appreciation for the part he played in Liverpool winning two domestic cup championships.
Another Strong Player Kaoru Mitoma
Mitoma has become a game-changer for the national team during the last three years. Although he seldom starts, his impact off the bench has the power to change the course of a game.
His primary strength is his quickness and ability to weave among opponents on the left wing while quickly changing directions. His ability to dribble down the wing, cut inside, cross, and shoot consistently makes opponents predict what he will do next.
Despite having only made his Japan debut a little over a year ago, he has already scored five goals in nine games, the most significant of which being the brace he scored against Australia in March to secure Japan’s trip to Qatar.
World Cup Record Set by Japan
Japan made its long-awaited World Cup debut in France ’98, having made significant progress since establishing a professional league (J. League) in 1990. Since they have consistently been present, and they will be participating in their seventh finals in Qatar.
The difference in class was obvious in their debut when they dropped all three games, but four years later, when they co-hosted the tournament with Korea Republic, things were very different. They made it to the knockout stage for the first time with Philippe Troussier in charge and a passionate home crowd behind them.
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