It was an ugly win but please keep in mind that Japan had to play without Osako (and Nakajima). Interesting stats. (1/2) サウジアラビア戦は後半になっても落ち着いて試合を観ることが出来た理由としては森保監督時代のサンフレッチェ広島(2012年-2017年)は、表のとおり、「先制ゴールを奪ったとき」と「前半終了時リードの場合」の勝率が異常に優れている点が挙げられる。前者は79勝3敗10分け、後者は57勝1敗3分け。 pic.twitter.com/HwQ9w75jlA— じじ(サッカーコラム J3 PLUS+)⚽️ (@J3Plus) January 21, 2019
Shibasaki not happy at "park the buss" and defend technique: https://web.gekisaka.jp/news/amp/?264687-264687-fl If my understanding is correct, he hopes that such experience will not be repeated. He further stressed that: "this technique is acceptable when playing against a stronger opponent [on paper], with all due respect to Saudi and their perception as one of Asia's strong teams, but they are not stronger than Japan".
Very interesting indeed. I don't think Moriyasu is a moron, he knows full well Japan has no need to play defensive against any team in Asia. They should be going every game to own possession. This is why I'm thinking this is something to come out of the FIFA World Cup debacle.
I agree with Shibasaki. If there is really a need to "experiment" defensive play style, the upcoming Copa America is a better place for that with far better opponents.
this defensive style just shows moriyasu is out of his depth imho. i don’t think he has any idea how to close out a match except for parking the bus. the above doesn’t help when as others have mentioned the front three players can barely string two passes together. tactically so inflexible. and why did he wait an eternity to make his substitutions?! saudi were running around them like training cones in the last 15 and moriyasu just stands up watching an exhausted minamino, doan and muto. his lack of trust (and ability) in his bench is worrying. in 2011 ac tadanari lee, masahiko inoha and iwamasa played game winning cameos. at this stage only ito looks like doing anything.
I guess we're in for a bumpy ride from now until WC 2022 unless a major disappointment happens and Moriyasu gets the axe.
Well, I already wrote earlier about my thoughts on the subject. There are multiple ways to defend a lead, and using a proactive approach instead of a typical "park the bus" approach is as beautiful as you can ask because it shows a good amount of strength and confidence. When I used the example about France choking the life out of Uruguay in the quarterfinals of the last World Cup, I always felt that it was the masterclass canvas that Japan had to build upon following the World Cup debacle. The French were hunting the Uruguayans like hungry dogs on raw meat, and then they proceeded with good ball control and counterattacks to frustrate the opposition even further. Japan can make defending look beautiful and yet not stiffle their own strengths if they are proactive at defending. That being said, Moriyasu needs to answer the questions as to how and why his team cannot play better by using what most "modern" managers teach these days.
I'm really looking forward to the Copa America. Even if they end up experimenting a little and get spanked it'll be a good experience.
Many good posts and thoughts. I think its hard to tell whats really wrong, so many dissapointments from different players, some of them can maybe blame it on their club situation but then they should show their best side in this tournament to attract interest, but no. Big fail. Minamino and Doan should shine but also dissapears.
Its very interesting that Vietnam can potentially beat Japan but they got very tired at Jordan match. Japan played defensive game and beat Saudi Arabia in 90 minute. This energy saving will benefit Japan a lot in next match.
was aoyama under an injury cloud even before the first game? kazuyuki toda mentioned aoyama didn’t look very good in training before they left the country. waste of a roster spot if that is the case.
i was initially hoping for that too but they looked exhausted running in defence for 90 minutes so i think they cancel each other out. osako is crucial. personally i would like ito starting for doan.
FYI, Sanfrecce under Moriyasu is remembered as the most unspectacular J-League champions ever. The league suffered from a decline in attendance during their dynasty. He plays boring football but gets results. Japan can do better in offense though. The absence of Osako and Nakajima has been a big blow. Doan, Muto and Minamino are good players but they aren't that good at holding the ball.
Japan has looked far from convincing but they have also managed to win without looking like they are sweating too much. But if Iran and Japan do make it to the semifinal, I am confident Japan will need to do better to get past Iran. Of course, neither side can take anything for granted against Vietnam or China, but for now, it does appear that two sides are destined to meet in the semifinals of this Asian Cup. Hopefully it will be a good game where the better team (hopefully Iran) wins
Are you referring to the Belgium match or Poland match? Like I said I don't think Japan did that much wrong against Belgium, besides taking the final corner too quickly. They were unlucky with Belgium's fluke first goal to get them back in the match (not to take anything away from Belgium, who have the individual quality to score anyway). For me the match against Poland was alarming, because they had no idea how to play defensively without literally passing the ball among their defenders, making themselves look like losers in the process.
I'm hoping to see Japan vs Iran as well, even if both teams play defensively. I don't think they've met in a competitive match since 2005, if this is correct. https://www.11v11.com/teams/iran/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Japan/
Tomiyasu broke Doan's record for the youngest Japanese goalscorer in the history of the Asian Cup. I wonder where he will go next summer. Teams like Lazio have already shown an interest in him. Top 5 Tomiyasu - 20 years 77 days vs Saudi Arabia (2019) Doan - 20 years 207 days vs Turkmenistan (2019) Ono - 21 years 17 days vs Saudi Arabia (2000) Takahara - 21 years 132 days vs Saudi Arabia (2000) Kagawa - 21 years 310 days vs Qatar (2011)
Keep in mind that Japan accomplished their objectives - to progress while rotating the lineup - against Poland. In that sense the team successfully carried out the coach's game plan against Saudi Arabia as well, as evidenced by the relatively positive comments from the players. The execution was a bit extreme but it's obvious that Moriyasu doesn't give a rat's ass about aesthetics. Grinding out results with mind-numbingly boring football....hmm I guess the JFA has some consistent direction after all?
Read Haraguchi's comment. They were very cautious of the biased refereeing. https://www.sanspo.com/soccer/news/20190122/jpn19012202030002-n1.html What can you expect from Japan when they get a ********ing retarded referee like yesterday? The Saudis got every 50-50 call from the refs. I know this continent is full of third worlders but still the level of corruption is incredible. Watch this stupid red in the 2004 AC semi-final. We had to play the remaining 50 minutes + 30 minutes in extra time with 10-men. Asia hasn't improved at all since then.
Irmatov is probably the most widely respected Asian referee. He was overly strict with the whistle yesterday inhibiting Japan's willingness to go into tackles. Good news is that Osako is back in full training, reportedly looking sharp in shooting drills.
No the fact that Japan has never ever been a team that I can recall closing down a game well. I think these tactics are from the JFA's technical committee possibly, or possibly they picked Moriyasu for this reason. I'm not against this by the way. The exception was the Cameroon 1-0 win in 2010 in my memory but that team was built up to be strong in defence regardless of tactical situation due to the 4-1-4-1.