Japan were tipped as favourites to win the Asian Cup but a shock defeat to Iraq has exposed the cracks in coach Hajime Moriyasu’s previously well-oiled machine.
The 2-1 loss leaves them facing a potential last-16 match with South Korea, assuming Japan still qualify from their final group game against Indonesia.
Even a draw on Wednesday would guarantee Japan progress, but after Friday’s reality check against a side ranked 46 places below them, they will be desperate for a morale-boosting win.
Moriyasu’s men went into the Iraq game off the back of a run of 10 straight wins where they scored 43 goals, including a 4-1 away victory over Germany.
Under Moriyasu, who has been in charge since 2018, they defeated Spain and Germany on the way to the last 16 at the Qatar World Cup just over a year ago.
But back in Doha again, they were outfought by a hungry Iraq side who gave them no time to settle.
Liverpool’s Wataru Endo scored in injury time at the end, but Japan did not deserve anything more.
Reaction was unsparing back home, with commentator Sergio Echigo ripping into Japan’s flat performance.
“Iraq came at them with everything, playing like it was the final,” he wrote in the Nikkan Sports daily.
“Maybe Japan thought they were the better team because of their results, or maybe they thought they could take it easy, but they started the game very slowly.”
Goalkeeping issues
Of the mounting problems suddenly facing Moriyasu, the biggest is his goalkeeper.
Iraq took the lead in the fifth minute when the inexperienced Zion Suzuki parried a cross straight into the path of striker Aymen Hussein, who headed home.
The 21-year-old Suzuki was also at fault in Japan’s opening game against Vietnam, letting in two first-half goals before they turned it around to win 4-2.
Suzuki was winning only his sixth cap and Moriyasu said he expects him to bounce back from the “painful memory” of his latest shaky outing between the sticks.
Even if Moriyasu wanted to drop Suzuki, he has left himself with two other goalkeepers with even less international experience.
Daiya Maekawa has only one cap and third-choice Taishi Brandon Nozawa has yet to play for his country, exposing a dearth of reliable Japanese goalkeepers.
“When you don’t have much experience you make mistakes, and that’s the case whether you’re a goalkeeper or in any other walk of life,” said Moriyasu.
He left 2022 World Cup goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda, 34, at home.
Mitoma return?
Japan captain Endo acknowledged that Iraq had dominated in midfield, consistently beating Japan to loose balls.
Endo urged his teammates to “be on it right from the first whistle” against Indonesia.
“We can talk all we want about tactics but we have to go back to basics for the next game,” he said.
Moriyasu needs Kaoru Mitoma to return after the Brighton winger missed the first two matches with an ankle injury.
Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who missed the first game but appeared as a half-time substitute against Iraq, should also be available from the start.
Moriyasu will be wary of making too many changes after admitting that his tinkering against Iraq “had an effect on the players”.
He made two changes to his starting line-up, both in attack, bringing in Takefusa Kubo for Keito Nakamura and Takuma Asano for Mao Hosoya.
Known as a conservative coach, he is unlikely to panic after one defeat.
“What I said to the players on the pitch after the game was the same thing I said to them after we had played Vietnam,” said the 55-year-old.
“Once the final whistle blows, it’s the beginning of the next match.”
