On Tuesday 15 October, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) played their fourth match of the FIFA World Cup 26™ AFC Asian Qualifiers at Saitama Stadium 2002, where they drew 1-1 with Australia.

Japan, aiming to secure their eighth consecutive World Cup qualification, faced Australia, aiming to achieve their seventh. Japan made two changes to the starting line-up that had secured a victory against Saudi Arabia on Thursday 10th, marking their third successive win in this round. The team continued to play with a 3-4-2-1 formation, with TANAKA Ao (Leeds United) replacing ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC), who was unable to participate due to illness, and KUBO Takefusa (Real Sociedad) replacing KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace).

Australia on the other hand, who have undergone a coaching change following a disappointing start to the qualifiers with a draw and a defeat, will be seeking to make a comeback under the guidance of new head coach Tony POPOVIC, who has played for Sanfrecce Hiroshima during his playing days. The Australian coach has made six changes to the starting line-up that beat China PR in their last game and has adopted a 5-4-1 formation with a high defensive block to counter Japan's attacks.

The match started with Japan creating opportunities through MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) and Kubo on the flanks, but the team struggled to convert them into goals.

In the ninth minute, Kubo played a pass-and-go with Tanaka to enter the penalty area, but his attempt from close range went wide of the target. In the 15th minute, DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) connected with Kubo's corner kick with his left foot, but his effort was saved by the goalkeeper.

Furthermore, in the 34th minute, MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) controlled a long ball from behind to set up a shot for Mitoma, but the winger’s shot was blocked by an opposing defender. In the 41st minute, UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord) connected with a cross from the left side, but his header was saved by the goalkeeper.

Australia competed fiercely in their pursuit of the ball, striving to launch rapid counterattacks upon securing possession, including Jordan BOS's attempt in the 30th minute, when the defender advanced the ball into the Japanese penalty area. However, Japan's defensive line, led by Itakura, maintained their composure, preventing Australia from scoring any goals during the first half.

While Japan continued to struggle to capitalise their opportunities in the second half, Australia broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when Lewis MILLER delivered a sharp cross from the right side, resulting in an own goal by Taniguchi Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV), who was attempting to clear the ball in front of the Japanese goal.

After conceding their first goal of the AFC Asian Qualifiers, Japan made several substitutions to bring fresh legs into their attacking third, bringing on ITO Junya (Stade de Reims) in the 62nd minute, followed by Kamada and NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims) in the 70th minute.

The equaliser came in the 76th minute when Nakamura displayed a great individual effort to carry the ball deep in the box and sent a sharp cross from the left that deflected off Australian defender Cameron BURGESS and into the net.

Despite Japan's late surge, the match ended in a 1-1 draw, with Japan sharing a point with Australia. The second-half equaliser extended Japan's goalscoring streak to 25 matches, a run that began at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ against Spain.

Japan will next face Indonesia and China PR on the road on Friday 15 and Tuesday 19 November.

Elsewhere in Group C, Indonesia suffered their first defeat away to China PR, 1-2, while China PR ended a three-match losing streak with their first win. Saudi Arabia drew 0-0 at home to Bahrain.

As a result, Japan remain top of Group C with 10 points from 3 wins and 1 draw. Australia, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all have 5 points from 1 win, 2 draws and 1 defeat, while Indonesia have 3 points from 1 draw and 3 defeats and China PR also have 3 points from 1 win and 3 defeats.

In the final round of the AFC Asian Qualifiers, 18 teams are divided into three groups of six, with the top two finishers in each group automatically qualifying for the FIFA World Cup 26™, which will be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. The third- and fourth-placed teams will have the chance to qualify via play-offs.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
It was frustrating not to get the three points in front of all the supporters at home. However, despite conceding the first goal of the qualifiers in the form of an own goal, the players continued to do what they needed to do and kept their composure as they turned up the heat to equalise. Even when things don't go well or don't go the way we'd hoped, we've been able to catch up and get back on level terms by continuing to do what we have to do without wavering. And although the result was disappointing, I'd like to praise the players for the process they went through during the match and the process they went through leading up to the match as a team.
Nakamura played a big part in the goal, but it wasn't just him - the substitutes also helped the team and raised the level of the game. It's a shame we didn't win, but I think the players showed today that as a team, the starters and substitutes can work together to pass the baton and increase our chances of winning. Today's match has reminded us how hard it is to win in the final round of the Asian qualifiers. We need to be prepared for even tougher challenges in our next two away games and do our best to ensure we play to our full potential in each of the matches ahead.

DF #3 TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV/Belgium)
It wasn't that I lost concentration, but the own goal made the game harder, especially as we were really trying to find a way to break the game open in that period. If we had gone on without it, I think the game would have turned out differently. I felt that our opponents had done a lot of research, including how they marked us on the flanks, and had prepared well for the match. I think we'll be facing more games like that from now on. There are no easy games and knowing that there are more tough games to come in this final round, the fact that we were able to create a lot of scenes where we were able to make quick transitions and recover even when things weren't going well is something we just have to keep doing.

DF #16 MACHIDA Koki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise/Belgium)
We were on the ball and attacking most of the time and then we conceded through a freak accident. It had been a while since we had conceded, so I thought we might be a bit rattled by it, but I think we have to give ourselves credit for keeping our composure and getting an equaliser soon after. We had chances to take the lead later in the game though, so I think that's something we need to work on. I thought we dealt well with the long balls, and we were very conscious of winning the second balls, so I thought that was good.

MF/FW #5 MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP/Portugal)
I think our opponents did their research on us and played much more effectively. We were pushing up the line and playing high up for a while, but in the middle of the game we started to position ourselves poorly and lost our tempo, which I think led to a vicious circle. Throughout the game we weren't able to play the kind of football we wanted to play. But even though the result wasn't what we were hoping for, I think it's positive that we were able to come back after conceding the first goal at home. It's not just today's game, but the players who come off the bench have a positive influence on the team and perform at a high level, no matter who it is. That's the strength of the Japan team at the moment. They're hungry and no one is guaranteed a starting spot. It's a good recipe for success and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

MF/FW #8 MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco/France)
Australia put up solid blocks and their big defenders shifted their line effectively to deal with our attacks. With their backs against the wall, I expected them to come out and try to get a point at any cost, so I expected the game to develop as it did. In terms of our offence, we were able to get some good crosses in at the right time, but there were a lot of times when they were able to get a touch on the ball and I think we could have done better in terms of the quality of our play in the final third and being a little more creative.

MF/FW #13 NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims/France)
I came into the game when we were losing, so I was concentrating on making plays towards the goal. I'm really happy to have contributed to the goal in a game as close as today's. When we scored, the box was full of opponents, so I made a conscious effort to get the ball down the line, but I think it was Mitoma's positioning that allowed me to get free and receive the ball in a good position.

MF/FW #14 ITO Junya (Stade de Reims/France)
I am not completely happy with my performance. I'm a bit disappointed because I wasn't able to contribute to the goals. There was a lot of space on the flanks, so I would have liked to go one-on-one with them and get more crosses in. We were attacking pretty much all the time, so I wish we had more time. Nakamura's movement was really sharp today and I think he can show his talents in a limited time off the bench. I also thought his dribbling was really good today.

Tony POPOVIC, Head Coach of Australia National Team
Given our current situation, a point is a good result. We had to make a lot of changes, and we only had four training sessions, but we came with the intention of winning and we had a chance to win 1-0. Japan have scored 14 goals in three games and it's not easy to win against a team made up mainly of players who play in Europe. So, in that sense I think it was good that we were able to play solid defence and keep their chances to a minimum. The next step is to work on building attacks when we have the ball, and we hope to play even better and get better results in the next game. We had planned to get to the stadium from our hotel in 90 minutes, but it took us 2 hours and 15 minutes because of the traffic, but we're not making any excuses. I think we handled the situation well and played a good game.

AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road To 26

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Australia National Team
Date: Tue. 15 October 2024, 19:35
Venue: Saitama Stadium 2002 (Saitama)
Tournament information