Japan is the first opponent of the Vietnamese team at the 2023 Asian Cup. The match between Japan and Vietnam will take place on January 14. The team from the land of the rising sun is also the brightest candidate for the title of champion of this year's Asian Cup.
Similar to the Vietnamese team, Japan has significantly reformed its squad, with many young players being called up by coach Moriyasu. Japan is the 7th youngest team at the 2023 Asian Cup (the Vietnamese team is ranked 4th on this list, followed by Indonesia).
Japan has significantly reformed its squad compared to the 2022 World Cup (Photo: FAT).
Only 14 of the 26 Japanese players preparing to participate in the 2023 Asian Cup have been present at the 2022 World Cup finals, even though the two tournaments are just over a year apart.
Explaining his decision to revamp his squad, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said: "Japanese football has more and more high-quality players, we have to make very difficult choices when the current players compete very fiercely with each other."
"I believe the high level of competition in the Japanese team shows that we are developing to world level. When making a list of players for the team, I always try to maintain the highest objectivity," coach Moriyasu added.
At the 2023 Asian Cup, the Japanese team is in Group D with Vietnam, Iraq and Indonesia. In theory, the team from the land of the rising sun is much stronger than the other opponents in the group.
However, coach Moriysu still modestly said: "There are no easy opponents and no easy matches in this year's tournament. Our goal is to win the Asian Cup this year."
Japan coach Moriysu is cautious ahead of the 2023 Asian Cup (Photo: AP).
"I was disappointed because I missed out on the Asian Cup title last time (at the 2019 Asian Cup, Japan lost to Qatar in the final). We want to win the Asian Cup this year to aim for the 2026 World Cup," coach Moriyasu affirmed.
Before facing the Vietnamese team on January 14, Japan has gone through 9 consecutive wins since June 2023, scoring 39 goals and conceding only 5. Most recently, Japan beat Thailand 5-0 on January 1 in a friendly match in Tokyo (Japan).
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