JNT really needs a player who can take on players and create a goal out of nothing when they are not progressing well in opponent's final third ala Vinicius Jr. Mitoma has slightly became safer in his game when deciding if to take on Defenders, no longer as active as doing so in his current play as compared to the past. Keito Nakamura needs to improve on his touch, noticed he always need 1 or 2 more touches compared to Mitoma to properly control the ball when receiving a long pass. Think Sota Kitano/Galu Nawata are the closest to it now? Sometimes remind me of Eden Hazard abit but obviously nowhere near the level. Keito Kumashiro seems like a decent prospect. Playmaker wise, hopefully JNT can have a player like what Kagawa was for Dortmund back then. In 2018, Kagawa was good for the NT in the RO16 run.
You expect Mitoma or Nakamura to take on players while they played as WBs, literally mean if they lost the ball, they expose half of the fields for just hopefully one DF to cover? They didn't become safer, they were tactical discipline. Kagawa was one of my favorite players but one of the main reason he was good in 2018 is the other teams were the attacking side and he had lot of spaces. I don't recall my recent memories any JNT playmakers who look good when the opponent park the bus. It's becoming boring circle: JNT looks bad -> other teams underestimate them and go head on -> JNT plays counter attack and gets result -> JNT looks good -> other teams play cautious or even park the bus -> JNT looks bad Of course a true world class playmaker will find a way to break any kind of defense, but it's not easy to find, even to top teams.
Well, if Real Madrid can afford Vinicus Jr to do so then perhaps JNT can find a way to do so if in the event they need a player to break through a stubborn defence. Of course, even Vinicius Jr sometimes will lose the play and lead to a counter-attack but sometimes such risks are unavoidable. Thus, a capable coach/manager will have to balance the various aspects at play as they make their changes along as the match progresses, depending on the current situation. A flexible coach like Ancelotti or Scaloni (for NT) will always be able to tweak their tactics/formations as the match progresses. Well, there is always a chance that teams go to a PK shoot-out (since WC is a tournament). In this case, will be a toss-up as anything can goes in a shoot-out. Thus, the coach/manager is very important as they need to have several tactics/formations or adapt on the fly in place in case the match don't progresses as well as thought. A team can bring a squad of 26 players, thus it is necessary to bring the variety of players which allows for the coach to make tactical/formation changes along the way in the WC matches. It is no longer just bringing the best players but also the most suitable players in this sense. 2026 WC will have 48 teams and is round of 32 instead of round of 16. Playing the tournament after a grueling club schedule is always tough, thus squad depth and sufficient rotation is always important. Hopefully, Moriyasu and team has learnt from the Coata Rica match in 2022 WC in order for JNT to progress as far as possible in 2026 WC taking into consideration all the necessary aspects, etc.
I don't quite understand why you bring up the case like Vinicius while he is clearly freed of any defense duty to just focus on attacking? I mean Mitoma or Nakamura were played out of positions in JNT. Just play them like they're used to be in club level and they will surely look completely different. Other things about Moriyasu tactics are true but it's the fact that is happening for around 7 years. Don't think he would have any dramatic changes.
My main point is that is important for the coach to be tactically flexible so that if in the event that Plan A or B does not work then he can improvise along the match. E.g if they play against a low block then perhaps if they have a player like Vincius Jr which can dribble 2 or 3 players to create a goal out of nothing or get a FK opportunity in the opponent's half then they can break the deadlock. Am trying to drive the point that is important to adapt as the match progresses, if in the event that does not progress as well as you thought to be. Thus, you need to be flexible with the tactics/formations ala Ancelotti/Scaloni. Hopefully Moriyasu can learn from this match with Saudi Arabia and also matches like Costa Rica in WC 2022 to be able to react on the spot.
Missed the game vs Saudi Arabia, doesn't seem I missed much. Highlights... Maeda should have scored. Learn from the Costa Rica game? Unlikely. Moriyasu was happy and proud how it all went, exactly to plan until ... well... And that's the problem with Moriyasu, his brand of defensive football isn't really defensive football but more "no risk-non-football." First half, absolutely never risk anything. Second half hope that your superior condition and slightly more risk does the job. It worked in the qualifiers for 22, after the defeat vs Saudi Arabia that's all Japan did really, but well China and Oman is not the same as Costa Rica.....He would have taken a draw there, then got scored on. But he probably still thinks the tactic was ok, just unlucky...after all he almost got his result. To his credit in this cycle I haven't really seen this, but suspect we'll be back at that during the WC. No risk, play non-football and wait.
Japan's Samurai Blue will reportedly travel to North America this September to face Mexico and the United States in World Cup preparation friendlies, per Sponichi. September 07 vs. Mexico in Nashville September 10 vs. United States in San Diego
Moriyasu said that's it's crazy how many worldclass players, Japan develop the last time and when everything is going well and if the country stand behind them, he thinks it's possible to become World Cup Champion. Sounds good but dangerous, reminds me of 2014. I would like it more, when he wouldn't say something like that.
As much as I would want to see that, I don't think Japan are quite there yet. For starters, it would be nice to finally go further than just the round of 16 especially given all the teams over the years who have gone further than that stage (Ukraine, Croatia, Morocco, Belgium, Turkey, Uruguay, Portugal and many others).
Moriyasu is a tool in the hands of JFA, the same bunch of masterminds who wrote the 2005 Declaration about JNT winning the WC by 2050. They are not even trustfull to themselves (maybe some of them passed away too in the last 20 years) since 2026 is quite far from 2050. Anyway this sheet is good for cameras, dramas and anime. I hope he will recognize how much a foolish sentence it is. But as I say JFA probably ordered him to say this BS.
Once JNT has players of Captain Tsubasa and co caliber, I can confidently say they will win the WC . For now, reaching beyond R16 should be the main objective.
Winning the World Cup by 2050 is not BS or unrealistic, it's BS and unrealistic to expect to win it in 2026 or in the 2030s.
It is. The type of football that is dominating this era is not the one JNT can afford and not only JNT but a lot of nations of the past. If things will change then JNT will have a chance but as things stand now I think that only hafu players can feel the gaps that JNT has and will have in the future. The same France in the past and present and now even Spain boost their NT with hafu players. France without Mbappe and Spain without Jamal are not on the same level.
No one size fits all. Argentina have no mixed players, and Germany won in 2014 with only Jerome Boateng being amongst the starters iirc.
It's impossible to predict what football and World Cups will look like by 2050 which is the target set forward by the JFA.
Argentina won only because they had a goat contender. Argentina without Messi would never won. And this urban legend about Argentina with no mixed player should end asap. It's a country born from Latin American, Italian, Spanish and nazi immigrants. They ARE mixed as the whole Latin America.
Its an interesting discussion. Japan will never have a to mixed team i guess. Compare it to France nts who many call Africa FC. And it it also a different thing between Argentina where we talk about desent. Long time ago the for instance France and Spain
Spain is actually full of people with no spanish roots. Immigrants' childrens and in the past Andalusia was nothing more then an arab feud so Andalusians are full of arab descendants.
If that's the case then the Japanese people are also mixed, because they are descendents both from the Jomon who came from Southeast Asia and from the Yayoi who came from Northeast Asia. To be honest I think it's very racist this notion that people of the same race are all equal, that's not true, for instance If you select a random group of asians or blacks they will not be the same, they will have diverse personalities, strenghts, weakness and physical characteristics. Likewise, the Japanese people are very diverse, you can find all kinds of people among the Japanese, and also among players, such as players who are better at dribling, defending, passing, attacking, goalkeeping, etc. so it doesn't need immigrants to be diverse, Japan already has the diversity of players it needs to win the world Cup.
I thought that was the popular view today, that we are all equal and alike. Even men and women, there is no difference..