“Dark Horse” Japan Heading into World Cup with “Strongest” Squad

Tokyo, May 16 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese men’s soccer team, nicknamed Samurai Blue, is heading into this year’s World Cup with global recognition as a possible dark horse, after team manager Hajime Moriyasu announced what is believed to be its strongest-ever squad. The 26-man roster for the tournament, which will be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11, was announced on Friday. Samurai Blue will attempt to reach the final eight for the first time and advance further. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Japan surprised the world by defeating former champions Germany and Spain in the group stage, but lost to Croatia on penalties in the round of 16. Moriyasu has voiced regret over the knockout-round loss, inscribing “never forget the regret” on the cover of a notebook he jots memos in during matches. Following the World Cup loss, Japan beat Germany again in 2023, Brazil last October and England in March. However, Japanese star Kaoru Mitoma’s injury just before the roster announcement has thrown cold water on rising hopes for Samurai Blue. The medical teams of the Japanese national team and his English Premier League club, Brighton and Hove Albion FC, determined that Mitoma would not recover in time for the tournament, leaving Moriyasu with no choice but to exclude Mitoma from the squad. Nevertheless, the manager had prepared for the possibility of such a situation by frequently changing squad members for international friendlies and assessing the capabilities of various players. Since being reappointed manager following the Qatar World Cup, he has called up over 80 players to the national team. Keito Nakamura, who plays for the French Ligue 2 team Stade de Reims, has become a mainstay for Samurai Blue, delivering a strong performance against Brazil in Mitoma’s absence. Since the Qatar World Cup, Moriyasu has delegated coaching responsibilities for attack, defense and set pieces to specialist coaches, while the manager oversees the operation as a whole and binds the team together. Moriyasu values cooperation and does not hesitate to confront those perceived to be slacking off in practice, even scolding Takefusa Kubo of Real Sociedad in Spain’s La Liga in front of his Samurai Blue teammates. Moriyasu deliberated over the latest team roster until the morning of the announcement, determined to make the final decision and accept full responsibility. Despite advice from coaches, he called up Wataru Endo of the Premier League team Liverpool and Takehiro Tomiyasu of the Dutch Eredivisie side Ajax, who are both injured. This likely reflected Moriyasu’s experience seeing former Japanese national team players Shinji Okazaki and Takashi Inui recover from injuries to perform well at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Samurai Blue’s bid for the championship is aided by the fact that many coaches and staff members have prior World Cup experience, giving the team critical insights and capabilities to support the players. Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, former Samurai Blue captain and currently president of the Japan Football Association, described the World Cup as a test of each country’s comprehensive strengths. It remains to be seen whether Japan’s squad depth and support off the pitch can help the team to become world champions. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]