Never two without three for Japan?

After winning against Mannschaft (2-1) and Roja (2-1), the Samurai Blues will try to get the best of Croatia on Monday, December 5, to reach the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup – this which would be a historic performance for the Japanese, who have never before reached this level of international competition.

That Lukas Modric and his teammates were finalists in the previous edition is not to displease Japan, used to overturning mountains lately.

In what was considered the “group of death”, no one expected them against Germany.

However, they took the lead over their opponent in ten minutes.

Spain, which played its qualification during the last day of the group stage, was also overthrown by a Japanese selection generous in the effort and united in all circumstances.

Despite a defeat against Costa Rica (0-1), Japan logically finished first in Group E, even if it may seem surprising as the competition seemed tough.

She is now in the round of 16 – a performance that the Japanese selection has already achieved in 2002, 2010 and 2018.

“I have to be honest, I didn't expect it, nobody expected it," Croatian midfielder Lovro Majer remarked. "But congratulations Japan.

The most important thing in football today is courage and heart and, in this sense, they have deserved it (the qualification, editor's note).”

“Fight like the samurai” with stronger individualities

The recipe for Japanese success is already to be found in the state of mind of the players who make up the selection.

Yuto Nagatomo, defender of Japan, is the one who talks about it best: “Before our match against Germany, we all said to ourselves 'coraggio' (the defender played for Inter Milan for a long time, editor's note).

All the players show this spirit of courage.

The atmosphere on the bench is good, I think we are one of the most united teams in this tournament.

I no longer need to say 'coraggio', we are completely motivated.”

Then the player made the analogy between the state of mind of his team and that… of the samurai.

“They try to improve their technique, but if they are scared before going to fight, they will not be able to put their technique in place.

It's the same for football.

If we arrive with fear, we will not be able to set up our game”, explains Yuto Nagatomo.

“I often mention the samurai, who are quite famous around the world.

We want to fight like the samurai.”

The fighting spirit counts, but so does individuality.

And on that side, coach Hajime Moriyasu has players who play in the biggest European championships – mainly in Germany: seven in the Bundesliga plus one, Ao Tanaka, who plays in the second division at Fortuna Düsseldorf and who scored the goal victory over Germany.

"We have grown mentally and physically since 2018. I think the Japanese selection this year is the strongest in the history of Japanese football," said Yuto Nagatomo.

“We want to beat Croatia.

Individual players have become better.”

Effective substitutes and standard-bearer selection in the Asia zone

The collective strength of the Japanese selection is also due to the effectiveness of their substitutions during the match.

If a team of this World Cup has particularly benefited from the transition to five replacements – against three in the past – it is Japan since 75% of its goals (three out of four) have come from the bench.

The game, underlines Ritsu Doan, “it's eleven against eleven, but between us, we say that we are twenty-six against eleven”.

The Japanese midfielder perfectly illustrates the strength of the Japanese substitutes.

A Freiburg player in the German league, he came on in the 71st minute against Germany and equalized for his side just four minutes later.

“The rules have changed to allow five changes, and I think we can be happy with that.

We have players who can change the course of the match,” adds Ritsu Doan.

“I have already scored many goals as a substitute.

At PSV Eindhoven I played more often as a substitute, and I know how to prepare myself.

In a country where baseball is the most popular team sport ahead of football, Hajime Moriyasu asked his players to take inspiration from this sport where everyone has a role to play.

The Japanese coach also underlined Japan's driving role in the promotion of Asian football: “Japan's main development is the individual improvement of its players.

The players have grown.

Japan is raising the overall level of Asian football, I think we've been a big part of that.”

In addition to this team, five nations from the Asia zone were involved in this World Cup-2022: Qatar (because host country), Iran and Saudi Arabia (who did not go far from going to the round of 16), Australia (qualified in the round of 16 but eliminated by Argentina) and South Korea (which faces Brazil on Monday).

A generally honorable course for the Asian countries which only asks to be fruitful by a Korean and/or Japanese victory on Monday.

The Croatian adversary remains suspicious in any case.

"If you underestimate the opponent, you are going to be disillusioned", is wary Lovro Majer, recalling that there have been "many surprises in this World Cup".

And to add: “In this context, it is difficult to know what it means to be favorite”.

With AFP

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