On Thursday 3 October, coach MORIYASU Hajime of the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) announced the squad for the two matches to be played this month at the second round of the Asian qualification for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. With the team scheduled to face the Mongolia National Team on Thursday 10 at Saitama and the Tajikistan National Team on Tuesday 15 at Dushanbe, ASANO Takuma (FK Partizan Belgrade) and KAMADA Daichi (Eintracht Frankfurt) made their return to the Japanese roster.

With the second round of the Asian qualifiers starting in September, Japan got off to a positive start with a 2-0 victory over the Myanmar National Team in Yangon. The squad heading into the second and third match was formed by mostly the same players, with the exception of the two forwards.

For Asano, this was his first call-up since sustaining an injury at this year’s AFC Asian Cup in January, while Kamada made his first return since March. Along with NAGAI Kensuke (F.C. Tokyo), the three attackers will try to fill the shoes of OSAKO Yuya (Werder Bremen), who is missing from this squad due to injury.

Regarding Osako’s absence, coach Moriyasu mentioned, “It is a big loss for the team.” However, he continued by sharing his aspiration towards Asano and Kamada, “The two have consistently played at their clubs and shown great performances. They are certainly capable of helping the team and I hope they can bring positive momentum to our team.”

The three attackers are all vastly different types of players compared to Osako, but the coach suggested that that could be a positive aspect for the team, “Different traits can bring different options for the team.”

Along with the new call-ups, the squad featured familiar faces such as, NAKAJIMA Shoya (FC Porto), MINAMINO Takumi (FC Red Bull Salzburg), DOAN Ritsu (PSV Eindhoven), YOSHIDA Maya (Southampton FC), and TOMIYASU Takehiro (Bologna FC 1909), while players like KUBO Takefusa (RCD Mallorca) and HASHIMOTO Kento (F.C. Tokyo) also returned to the squad.

The second round of the Asian qualifiers will be competed between five teams in each group, where the matches are played in a home-and-away format. Out of the eight groups, the group leaders, along with the top four teams among the runners-up will advance through to the final round. After completing two matches in September, Tajikistan is in the lead at Group F with their two wins, while Japan sits at second place with only one match played thus far. Mongolia is in third place with a win and a loss, while Kyrgyz Republic and Myanmar trails in fourth and fifth place. Japan will face Mongolia at home on Thursday 10, followed by an away match against Tajikistan on Tuesday 15.

Last month, Japan struggled in their away match against Myanmar, as the match took place in Yangon during their rainy season. The torrential rain made it difficult for the team to train before the match and the pitch condition made it tough for the players to make the correct decisions during the match.

Coach Moriyasu valued his players’ ability to make appropriate adjustments even under difficult circumstances. “Despite how our opponent approaches the match, I want our players to make the best possible decisions on the field and respond with flexibility as a team.” The coach concluded by stating, “We will give our best efforts as a team to earn three points in each of the following matches.”

The SAMURAI BLUE will face the Mongolia National Team on Thursday 10 October at Saitama Stadium 2002, and the Tajikistan National Team on Tuesday 15 October at Republican Central Stadium in Dushanbe.

Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
In order to earn three points in each of our matches against Mongolia and Tajikistan, we will prepare ourselves in the best way possible ahead of each match and give our utmost efforts to deliver a victory to our fans. When looking at the FIFA ranking, our last opponent, Myanmar, and our next opponent, Mongolia, are both ranked below Japan, but that does not guarantee anything. Regardless of who we face, we must always focus on breaking down our opponent. Our players did a great job to showcase their intelligence in the match against Myanmar, so we hope to continue to play smart while putting up a tough fight in our next match. While the team will always strive to win each match, the players must become able to make the necessary adjustments according to the situation. By doing so, the players can gain more confidence that they can cope with any opponent and reach new heights as a player. Regardless of who we face, the players can gain precious experience as a member of the national team, both on and off the pitch. While we continue to share these experiences as a team, I intend to select the best players to the World Cup. By playing for the national team, the players will be forced to sit out a match or two after returning to their clubs, but many of these players have fought back to retain their position at their clubs. The players are expecting to play under tough environments, and they are determined to give their best performance under any given circumstances. For the young players, I want them to experience in first-hand what the veterans have gone through and utilise the experience to become a better player.

SEKIZUKA Takashi, JFA Technical Director
The second round of the Asian qualifiers started in September, and we were able to get off to a good start with a win over Myanmar in an away match. Our next match against Mongolia will be our first match played at home, while Tajikistan has already won two matches thus far. We hope to showcase a performance that can fulfil the expectations of our fans. These matches are matches with great significance, so we will give our best efforts to allow the team to enter each match in their best condition.

Schedule

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Squad, Schedule

2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and AFC Asian Cup China PR 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) vs Mongolia National Team
Match Date: Thu. 10 October 2019, 19:35
Match Venue: Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama

Tournament Information

Tajikistan National Team vs SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Match Date: Tue. 15 October 2019, 17:15 (21:15 Japan time)
Match Venue: Republican Central Stadium, Tajikistan

Tournament Information

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