Iran team is not good, Japan lost

Sharing with Japanese media, coach Philippe Troussier explained why the Japanese team lost to Iran in the quarterfinals despite being highly rated and being the top candidate for the championship.

" It was a must-win match and it wasn't too difficult to win. But Japan lost on their own and Iran took advantage of Japan's weaknesses, " said coach Troussier.

"The Japanese team lacks motivation. In knockout matches, Japan is not strong in this aspect. They are better at deploying technical play, players controlling the ball and showing off their skills. But I do not feel the will to confuse the opponent from Japan ."

Coach Troussier thinks Japan lacks determination at Asian Cup 2023.

The head coach of the Vietnam team assessed that the Japanese team had difficulty with the long ball play of the Iranian team. At the same time, when Iran increased their midfield, the "Blue Samurai" could not control the ball well. In the end, they lost due to a penalty.

" The penalty clearly shows the mentality of the players. It was a mistake of the defense. I did not see any coordination or effort to compete. The players did not have any disappointment. Japan lacked many things that day and did not seem determined to win the match ," said coach Troussier.

Coach Troussier said that the Asian Cup taking place in the middle of the season made the players not feel interested. Before the tournament, midfielder Takehiro Tomiyasu complained about the match schedule, because this affected the players' efforts to find a foothold at European clubs.

" The Asian Cup takes place in the middle of the European season, so it does not motivate the players. The same goes for the CAN (Africa Cup). Morocco, Senegal, Cameroon were eliminated in the round of 16, Ghana, Tunisia were eliminated in the group stage. The teams participating in the World Cup were all eliminated. The lack of motivation is not only in Japan but also in the world ," the 68-year-old coach stated his opinion.

The French coach said that only Hidesama Morita showed his quality, while the others played below par. In addition, coach Troussier was not satisfied with center back Itakura Ko - who fouled an Iranian player leading to a penalty. This player did not play well but was still kept by coach Moriyasu, instead of sending Shogo Taniguchi or Koki Machida onto the field.

Japan have done well at the 2022 World Cup. Coach Troussier thinks this has made the players complacent about the compliments. They came to the Asian Cup without any worries or doubts. " They have a problem with their mentality and determination. The players are too relaxed. The biggest problem is determination. Coach Moriyasu, though, must take responsibility for this. He is the type of coach who trusts his players, but he should have demanded more ."

Van Hai

Source