Japan has been a consistent participant in the FIFA world cup tournaments since 1998. But in every competition, they have either just existed in the group or faced defeats in the round of 16.
In the last FIFA edition, they showed some never before seen spirit when the Asian side scored two against the eventual semifinalist Belgium almost knocking them out of the competition. But Belgium turned the tie around by overcoming the two goals with their’s three. However, it was by no means an easy battle for the European Red Devils. They had to fight until the 90-minute mark before securing a win against the then-sturdy Samurai Blues.
Japan’s statistical records throughout the games since the last world cup have remained somewhat the same (as expected from them). While they manage to extract the wins from all the Asian countries, the team fluctuates between victories, defeats, and draws when facing their continental equals Saudi Arabia and South Korea.
Having said that who has the Nihon Daihyo picked for the 26-man squad heading into the Qatar 2022?
Japan Squad For FIFA World Cup 2022 – Look At Nihon Daihyo’s 26-Man Roster
| Position | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Eiji Kawashima | Strasbourg (FRA) | 39 | 95 |
| Goalkeeper | Shuichi Gonda | Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN) | 33 | 33 |
| Goalkeeper | Daniel Schmidt | Sint-Truiden (BEL) | 30 | 11 |
| Defender | Yuto Nagatomo | Tokyo (JPN) | 36 | 137 |
| Defender | Maya Yoshida | Schalke (GER) | 34 | 121 |
| Defender | Hiroki Sakai | Urawa Red Diamonds (JPN) | 32 | 71 |
| Defender | Takehiro Tomiyasu | Arsenal (ENG) | 23 | 29 |
| Defender | Miki Yamane | Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) | 28 | 14 |
| Defender | Shogo Taniguchi | Kawasaki Frontale (JPN) | 31 | 13 |
| Defender | Ko Itakura | Borussia Monchengladbach (GER) | 25 | 12 |
| Defender | Hiroki Ito | Stuttgart (GER) | 23 | 5 |
| Midfielder | Gaku Shibasaki | Leganes (SPA) | 30 | 59 |
| Midfielder | Wataru Endo | Stuttgart (GER) | 29 | 43 |
| Midfielder | Takumi Minamino | Monaco (FRA) | 27 | 43 |
| Midfielder | Junya Ito | Reims (FRA) | 29 | 38 |
| Midfielder | Ritsu Doan | Freiburg (GER) | 24 | 28 |
| Midfielder | Daichi Kamada | Eintracht Frankfurt (GER) | 26 | 21 |
| Midfielder | Takefusa Kubo | Real Sociedad (SPA) | 21 | 19 |
| Midfielder | Hidemasa Morita | Sporting (POR) | 27 | 17 |
| Midfielder | Ao Tanaka | Fortuna Dusseldorf (GER) | 24 | 14 |
| Midfielder | Kaoru Mitoma | Brighton (ENG) | 25 | 9 |
| Midfielder | Yuki Soma | Nagoya Grampus (JPN) | 25 | 7 |
| Forward | Takuma Asano | Bochum (GER) | 27 | 36 |
| Forward | Ayase Ueda | Club Brugge (BEL) | 24 | 10 |
| Forward | Daizen Maeda | Celtic (SCO) | 25 | 8 |
| Forward | Shuto Machino | Shonan Bellmare (JPN) | 23 | 4 |
Japan Group Table: Who Are They Facing?
Japan has never been the most talked about candidate until this world cup. Thanks to their group map, they are sandwiched between two powerhouses, Germany, Spain, and the 2014 Worl Cup’s dark horse, Costa Rica. And they definitively have the title, The Group Of Death.
Japan’s Fixtures
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 23 | Germany vs. Japan | 8 a.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
| Sun, Nov. 27 | Japan vs. Costa Rica | 5 a.m. | Ahmad Bin Ali |
| Thurs, Dec. 1 | Spain vs. Japan | 2 p.m. | Khalifa Int’l |
Japan Strengths
They were second in their world cup qualification group finishing just behind Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, they only lost two games out of 10.
More than half of their starting 11 play for some of Europe’s top leagues and they do have a good idea of tactical football to stand up against their European foes in the group stage. Some of the players who make Japan competitive are Liverpool’s Takumi Minamino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Maya Yoshida, Daichi Kamada, Hidemasa Morita, and Daizen Maeda.
Their current manager, Hajime Moriyasu is the best mentor they have had in years with a win percentage of 68.4, their highest ever.
Japan Weaknesses
While they make significant chances their dangerous number of opportunities missed has often cost them the major games, they are also heading into the world cup with a lack of quality options up front. Add to that, they have also ditched Celtic star Kyogo Furuhashi and Vissel Kobe veteran Yuya Osaka. Resultantly it will be additional pressure on the midfield to back up the front line.
Will Japan Make It Out Of Their Group Stage?
It will be nothing short of a miracle if they manage to do so.
As mentioned it is already the toughest for Japan being against the likes of Germany, Spain, and Costa Rica. Further, their game schedules, too, haven’t made it easy for them to get past the group stage. An opening match with a four-time world champion is as tough as one could have gotten. Add to that their final game will be against the 2010 champion Spain.
If the Asian side is to progress, they at the very least will have to win one and draw another.
Japan Projected 11 At The World Cup
4-3-3 Gonda; Sakai, Yoshida, Tomiyasu, Nagatomo; Endo, Morita, Tanaka; Ito, Minamino, Kamada.
