On the evening of January 9, the Japanese team won a resounding 6-1 victory over the Jordan team (ranked 87th in the world ). Coach Hajime Moriyasu's students led by 6 goals before conceding in the 87th minute.
The Japanese team extended their winning streak to 10. No team at the 2023 Asian Cup can match or surpass Japan's record. At the same time, this is also the perfect preparation for the team from the land of the rising sun for the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup.
Heading into the tournament in Qatar, coach Hajime Moriyasu has already finalized the list of 26 players. Of these, 20 players are playing in Europe. The most notable names in Japanese football such as Kaoru Mitoma and Takefusa Kubo are all present despite being injured.
Japan team won big against Jordan before Asian Cup 2023. (Photo: Getty)
However, the remaining names are the dream of any team at the Asian Cup. Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg), Wataru Endo (Liverpool) or Takumi Minamino ((AS Monaco) all affirmed their class in the top European tournaments.
The Japanese team's goal is nothing less than winning the championship. Coach Hajime Moriyasu recently expressed regret that the team did not win the championship in the tournament four years ago. They finished second after losing to Qatar in the final. The last time Japan won the championship was in 2011.
In the opening match, the Japanese team will face the Vietnamese team. This will be a huge challenge for coach Philippe Troussier and his team.
The last time the Vietnamese team faced Japan was in the third qualifying round of the 2022 World Cup. Under the guidance of coach Park Hang Seo, the Vietnamese team lost the first leg 0-1 and drew with their opponents in the second leg - when Japan had secured their place in the World Cup - with a score of 1-1.
Before leaving for Qatar, the French coach said: " The goal of the Vietnamese team is to play one match at a time, to pass the group stage first. The match with Japan has a 90% chance of losing and the remaining match is to get 1 point, or even win. Who knows, it could be the match on January 14th ."
The match between Vietnam and Japan will take place at 6:30 p.m. on January 14, at Al Thumama Stadium.
Van Hai
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