Japan suffers shock in Asian futsal

Thailand Defending champion Japan was eliminated from the 2024 Asian futsal championship after drawing 1-1 with Tajikistan in the final round of Group C, losing their place in the World Cup.

In the first two matches, Japan lost 2-3 to Kyrgyzstan and won 5-0 against South Korea. Therefore, they are forced to defeat Tajikistan in the final round today.

Coach Kenichiro Kogur's players started as expected, opening the scoring in the 11th minute. But they could not maintain their lead, allowing their underdog opponents to equalize in the 26th minute. The 1-1 result meant Japan finished the group stage with just four points, finishing third and eliminated. The two teams that qualified for the next round were group leader Tajikistan and second-placed Kyrgyzstan, both with five points.

Japanese players' disappointment after the draw with Tajikistan in the final round of Group C on the evening of April 22.

When the final whistle blew at the Bangkok Arena, the Japanese players looked stunned. Many covered their faces with their shirts to hide their tears. In the stands, some Japanese fans also burst into tears. Not only was Japan turned into a former champion, but it also failed to qualify for the 2024 Futsal World Cup.

Eight years ago, Japan - then the defending champion - also unexpectedly lost to Vietnam in the quarter-finals of the Asian Cup and was eliminated. Meanwhile, Vietnam won a ticket to the World Cup for the first time.

Japan's difficulties were predicted before the tournament. During the preparation, they lost two stars due to injury, Arthur Oliveira and Kazuya Shimizu. The absence of striker Shimizu caused the attack of the Japanese team to stagnate and lack sharpness.

In today's match with Tajikistan, Japan also took the initiative but lacked someone who could convert opportunities into goals.

Despite the power-play in the final minutes, Japan was still deadlocked. This match also witnessed a record time of watching the VS (VAR) technology of the referees. With only 14 seconds left in the match, the referees, including Mr. Truong Quoc Dung of Vietnam, had to stop the match five times to review situations such as whether the ball touched the hand, whether the goalkeeper punched the ball outside the penalty area and whether the clock was correct. After five reviews, a total of seven minutes, no errors occurred. Thanks to that, the match ended safely in the indescribable joy of Tajikistan and the endless sadness of Japan.

On April 24, Vietnam will play Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals at 9 p.m. If they win, Vietnam will qualify for the World Cup. If they lose, the team will play a play-off to compete for the fifth Asian ticket.

Duc Dong

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/nhat-ban-chiu-cu-soc-o-futsal-chau-a-4737409.html