Japan: matches, team and player to watch at the 2022 World Cup

Since their surprise round of 16 at the 2018 World Cup, Japan has been steadily rising in the FIFA rankings, climbing from 50th to 24th in just four years. But after dominating Asian football in the early 2000s, the Japanese are now facing big problems on their continent despite finishing second in the last Asian Cup. In the raised group, it will again be necessary to deliver a surprise by eliminating a team with a much higher rating than it, in order to get a place among the two qualified in the 1/8 finals.

Story

Since 1998, in one of the two world championships, the Japanese have either been eliminated in the first round or in the 1/8 finals, as in the last world championship …

Team uniform

2022 East Asia Cup winner, Japan also remains 4 games unbeaten including 3 successes without conceding a goal and scoring a total of 11. Wins include South Korea (28th in the world) and especially over the US (14th). And when compared with the strong powers of world football, Japan in June last year managed to hang Brazil, losing only 0:1 in a friendly match.

List of 26 players

Only classic for Japan. Japan, the first country to put together its roster of 26 players for the World Cup, will travel to Qatar with several Ligue 1 players including the highly technical Minamino (Monaco) and Strasbourg goalkeeper Kawashima. Also note the presence of Kubo, Japan’s “Messi”, who trained at Barça and now plays for Real Sociedad. Not forgetting the presence of the eternal Hiroki Sakai, the former side of OM.

• Guardians: Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse/Japan), Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg/France), Daniel Schmidt (St. Truiden/Belgium).
• Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Tokyo, Japan), Maya Yoshida (Schalke, Germany), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal, England), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Reds, Japan), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield, England) , Shogo Taniguchi (“Kawasaki Frontale”, Japan). ), Ko Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach/Germany), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale/Japan), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart/Germany).
• Environment: Wataru Endo (Stuttgart/Germany), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting/Portugal), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Düsseldorf/Germany), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany), Junya Ito (Reims/France), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton/England), Takumi Minamino (Monaco/France), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus/Japan), Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes/Spain), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad/Spain), Ritsu Doan (Friborg/Germany).
• Forwards: Daizen Maeda (Celtic/Scotland), Takuma Asano (Bochum/Germany), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Bruges/Belgium).

Likely composition

The Japanese defense, led by Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu, has a landmark, of course, young (23 years old), but solid in his half of the field, right in front of the experienced goalkeeper in the person of Shuichi Gonda (33 years old). . As far as midfield is concerned, it is perhaps in this sector of the game that the Japanese will be the most dangerous thanks to Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Takumi Minamino (Monaco), who are both excellent passers.

Player to Watch: Daichi Kamada

At 26, Daichi Kamada made 21 appearances for the national team, scoring 6 goals. The Japanese attacking midfielder is now admired by Eintracht Frankfurt, with whom he won the Europa League last season, thanks in part to his 5 goals. This season, in 7 games, Kamada has already scored 3 times and gave 2 assists. He is one of the key elements of his club, and now his selection, in which he should take the position of 10th number.

Japan Schedule

Refer to the profile of all teams on the main page. In particular, from group E, namely from Costa Rica, Spain and Germany.