FIFA FOOTBALL WORLD CUP QATAR 2022 - NEWS BLOG - UPDATE 37

 POST MATCH ANALYSIS OF JAPAN VS. CROATIA

Croatia's Modric praised Japan: "We showed why we beat a strong team"

The first round of the final tournament was held in Qatar on 5 December (6 Japan hours), and defending runners-up Croatia defeated Japan after a 1-1 penalty shootout to advance to the last eight of the tournament for the second consecutive time.

It was an impressive amount of skill and momentum. Croatia's Modric, the best player of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, stood in front of the Japan.

At times, he helped build the attack on the final line and controlled the game with his presence all over the pitch. Defensively, he showed precise covering at key points and continued to be a dangerous and disturbing presence for Japan.

Around 15 minutes into the second half, he sent the stadium to life with an artistic outside kick. He reacted sharply to a spilled ball in a contest on the right in front of the penalty area. He swung his right foot directly into the top left corner of the goal, but was blocked by a good save by goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda. The 37-year-old captain showed that he was alive and well until he retired in the first half of extra time.

As in the first round and quarterfinals of the previous tournament, where the team finished as runners-up, they narrowly won the penalty shootout to advance to the next round. The coach, who also plays for Real Madrid in Spain's first division, said: "It was a very tough game Japan showed why we beat Germany and Spain, and showed us a high level of quality. I want to congratulate Japan for everything they have achieved". The words that praised the opponent who defeated him with all his might gave a sense of dignity.

First opener, we struggled with how the match unfolded Japan "One more goal" malfunctions offensively and defensively

Japan took on the defending runners-up head-on and took on the offensive. Captain Daichi Kamada recalled, "I think we played the best match in the four matches of this tournament." Still, the results didn't turn out the way we wanted.

Following the match against Spain, we chose a system that was based on three backs from the start of the match and had a five-back system when defending. As in the past, we defended well in the first half, and in the second half, we thought that we would draw a must-win pattern to win the match, but we were aggressive from the beginning.

Attackers such as Daizen Maeda on the front line run to the press and do not let the attack be assembled freely. Wataru Endo and others dominated the midfield attack and defense, creating one chance after another. Croatia has adopted a strategy that does not focus on ball possession, and the Japan's possession rate is 36% (Croatia 51%). Compared to the previous two matches, against Germany (24%) and Spain (17%), they dominated from the first half and Maeda's opening goal came from a corner kick in the 43rd minute.

It was a welcome opening goal for the first time in this tournament. However, this one goal also troubled the rest of the match.

'Just a few more gaps' to prevent Japan Penalty shootouts that lacked 'strong and aiming'

At the World Cup Qatar, the Japan National Team lost to Croatia in the first round of the final tournament held at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah on 5 December (6 Japan hours), failing to reach the last eight for the first time. The 1-1 extra-time match was unsettled and they lost on penalties.

Goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda leapt to the left as if he was determined. But the ball kicked by Croatia's fourth kicker shook the opposite net. The Japan players, who were eliminated on penalties, ran out of steam and Takumi Minamino collapsed onto the pitch.

The Japan was kicked by the players who ran on the spot. The first is Minamino. The ball flew to the right of the goal and was effortlessly blocked by the goalkeeper.

The second player, Kaoru Mitoma, raised his hand and said, "I want to win," and kicked to the left and was blocked by the goalkeeper's right arm. The third, Takuma Asano, scored, but the fourth captain, Maya Yoshida, was also stopped on almost the same course as Mitoma. Yoshida put his hands on his knees and dropped his shoulders in surprise.

"We had planned [the penalty shootout] from the beginning, and we knew it would be a tough match, so that's part of it," said Yoshida.

AL JANOUB STADIUM QATAR - WHERE JAPAN LOST TO CROATIA

Takuma Asano: "I gave it my all" report, teachers "looking forward to 4 years from now" Soccer World Cup

At the World Cup in Qatar, Japan lost to Croatia in the first round of the final tournament on the 6th and missed out on the last eight. Forward Takuma Asano (28) from Komono Town, Mie Prefecture, who played in all four matches of the Japan, reported to his local teacher after the match, "I gave everything I had." Locals are looking forward to the World Cup in four years' time.

Shiro Higuchi, 63, a former coach at Yokkaichi Chuo High School in Asano, received a message from Asano around 5:40 a.m. on the 6th. "I wasn't good enough today, but I gave it my all," he said. Higuchi praised him, saying, "He is mentally stable and unwavering, and I am looking forward to seeing Takuma Asano grow even more in four years."

Asano made a splash in the Japan with his comeback against Germany in his first match on 23 November, and became a chance maker for this tournament. Yasuhiro Shimizu, 54, a coach of an elementary school soccer club, was invited by Asano to watch the two matches on site. At the moment of Asano's goal against Germany, Shimizu said, "My knees trembled." After the match against Costa Rica, he met Asano and cheered him on, saying, "You can be a hero again," and hoped for a good progress.

In the match against Croatia, he came on as a substitute in the 19th minute of the second half, just after the equaliser. We were expecting to score, but our opponents' marks were tough. The match went into extra time and a penalty shootout, and the team was eliminated. I fell to my knees on the pitch and wept in frustration. Shimizu told Asano, "I have nothing but gratitude for that, and I hope that he will use the frustration of not scoring a goal as a springboard to become a hero again in four years."

Asano's brother Kohei (29) watched the game on TV at his home in Komono Town. When Asano was thrown in, he put his hands together and kept shouting in his heart, "Takuma, I'm going to ask for it." "Takuma's miraculous goal against Germany helped us get this far, and when I come back to Komono, I want to tell him that everyone was paying attention to Takuma," he said.

Coach Moriyasu did not waver until the end even if he was swearing in the downtown area

On the 5th December (6th of Japan hours) in Qatar, Japan succumbed to the defending runners-up Croatia 1-1 in the first round of the final tournament after extra time and a penalty shootout, and did not reach the last eight for the first time. Coach Hajime Moriyasu (54), who led the Japan National Team for more than four years, has faced a lot of criticism during this time, and when he beat Germany in the first match of the tournament, he was praised as if he had returned the palm of his hand. A friend of 30 years said, "I was beaten a lot, but Moriyasu didn't shake my core," and I feel the strength of my heart again.

On 23 November, Hirota Ito, a 63-year-old hotel manager in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture, rushed to Doha to cheer him on, and he witnessed the first defeat of a World Cup champion against Germany. From the audience, I felt a strange enthusiasm than any match I had ever seen. However, Moriyasu was different from the audience. "It wasn't the same as usual, and he didn't look nervous."

Ms. Ito first met coach Moriyasu in 1993, when the J.League started. At the time, the city of Beppu invited the camp of J1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima, to which coach Moriyasu belonged as a player, and Ms. Ito, who was in charge of the Beppu Junior Chamber, took on the role of taking care of the players. "It's like there's only one adult in the mix, and it's low waist”.

To Shuto Machino "Four years later, four years later" No participation in the World Cup, cheering for his father in his hometown

On the 6th December, the day of the match against Croatia, the father of forward MACHINO Shuto (23) from Iga City, Mie Prefecture, cheered on on TV with his acquaintances in the city. Machino did not play in this match either, and when Japan's defeat was decided, there were already voices for the next World Cup, saying, "Four years from now, four years from now."

Even after Japan took the lead, caught up, and went into extra time, the enthusiastic cheering continued in front of the TV believing in victory. In the penalty shootout, the Japan was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper in quick succession, and when the decision was settled, a big sigh leaked out.

During the match, Ri said, "Maybe I'll play here," and was expecting Machino to come on as a substitute. He did not play in the first three matches, and Machino did not take the pitch for the World Cup this time. However, Ri was confident that he would live on in the future, saying, "I was able to spend a month with the national team and have gained valuable experience, and I think I have learned what I am lacking even if I am on the bench."

Upon returning to Japan, Machino first said "Thank you for your hard work," adding, "I would like to thank everyone who supported me, and you may feel that you need to go abroad to take the next step. I'd like to ask for directions."

Yoshinori Higuchi (63), president of the Association to Encourage Shuto Machino, has been busy preparing for the public viewing (Maeda Education Center) on November 27, when it was announced that Machino would be called up to the Japan national team. "It was all my first time, so I was fluttering, but I enjoyed watching the game on TV," he said.

Takumi Minamino: "I'm sorry I couldn't connect to the penalty kick" Soccer World Cup

The Soccer World Cup Qatar ended on 5 December (6 Japan hours), in the first round of the final tournament, and Japan (1st place in Group E of the 1st League) were eliminated by Croatia (2nd place in Group F) after a penalty shootout. One night after the match, Minamino Takumi (Monaco) spoke to reporters and said, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the next one." The main comments are as follows.

- How did you feel?

I was confident and knew that whether the No. 1 (kicker) scored or not would make a big difference in the course of the future. That's why I kicked it with confidence, but I'm very sorry that I couldn't carry it to the next one.

――Looking back on this tournament, you wore the ace number "10" to look back.

◆ Nothing special about the uniform number. That's not why I'm playing football. However, we were able to bounce back from all kinds of pressure as a team to get through the group stage, and that's why I strongly believed that we could break the barrier of the last 16, so it is very frustrating that we couldn't do that. I wish I had scored before the penalty shoot-out, but I wasn't good enough.

――For the next four years. What kind of image?

Of course, I want to get revenge at the next World Cup, but in order to do so, I have to take this frustration to the top of my team and improve myself as a player.

The difference from the small and big world shown by the wall of the 8 strong Japan national football team

At the World Cup Qatar, the Japan National Team lost to Croatia in the first round of the final tournament on 5 December (6 Japan hours), failing to reach the last eight for the first time. The 1-1 extra-time match was unsettled and they lost on penalties.

I could clearly see the current location of the Japan. While they showed their great potential by beating the powerhouses Germany and Spain, they succumbed to the skilled Croatia in the one-shot final tournament. The reality that the fourth attempt was repelled by the "eight-strong wall" shows the difference between the world that seems small and large.

Penalty shootouts have a strong element of luck. But Junya Ito's words say it all. "We have to win and we wanted to score before extra time, before it was a penalty shootout."

Croatia was tough. Although Japan took the lead, they were thoroughly thrown into the front line with tall players and threw in long throws and crosses, and were caught up with a style that made the most of their strengths. Japan is unable to produce the tenacious defense that drove them to make a breakthrough or the offense that increases their output and folds them all at once.