For the Blue Samurai, if you guys had to put together a starting 11 for Qatar 2022, then who would be in your starting 11 right now...this is merely for fun but I obviously wanna pick your guys' brains
To be honest at this moment in time I don't like the thought of this team playing in a World Cup group stage. A few ingredients missing before this is a winning side. I hope we find some more magic in the Olympics next year (if its on then). As a prep tournament the olympics will take a whole new importance on.
Too early to say. I think you could indeed point to some key-elements, if they perform accordingly to their potential: - Nakajima - H. Sakai - G. Sakai - Tomiyasu - Shoji - Shibasaki - Minamino - W. Endo - Kamada (if he keeps this pace at Eintracht) - T. Kubo - Morita There are so many players to watch. I'm curious how Morishima, Keisuke Osako, Ueda and Ogawa will develop.
GK- Daniel Schmidt LB- Yamanaka CB- Shoji CB- Tomiyasu RB- H. Sakai DM- G. Sakai DM- Shibasaki LAM- Kagawa (captain) CAM- Minamino RAM- Kamada CF- Asano (4-2-3-1) A new mix of players in the team but familiar faces too
If Tomiyasu comes up through the Olympics I'd be tempted to make him the national captain. He seems quite head strong and will be around the team for the next decade probably.
If he gets to Qatar. He'll be 33, he's playing in the second division. I don't see that happening by any means necessary.
Kagawa is probably your best player most recognizable...just off of that alone and off of experience he'll be in the Japan final 23 come 2022...33 years old he will be in his last World Cup most likely so why shouldn't he be named captain? Then who would you suggest to captain the squad in 2022?
I still think (and hope) that the only senator featuring in 2022 will be Yuto Nagatomo, in a way similar to Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi in 2010.
----------------------------Minamino------------------------- Wakatsuki-----------Daichi Kamada---------------Kubo ------------------Wataru Endo----Shibasaki-------------- Ko Matsubara----Tomiyasu----Yoshida----Sugawara -------------------------Daniel Schmidt----------------------
If Wakatsuki and Sugawara don't live up to their full potential, they can be well replaced by Nakajima and Hiroki Sakai respectively. Looking at these names, I believe Japan's 2022 squad will be better than the 2018's.