According to a report by Japanese media outlet Yahoo Sports, Hajime Moriyasu, who returned from scouting the European Championship, spoke about the Asian Qualifiers starting in September in an interview. Moriyasu said that the first match against China at home would be a tough battle due to the players’ jet lag and the weather, and Japan did not have a guaranteed victory.
Moriyasu watched 10 matches at the European Championship, and he was impressed by 16-year-old Gavi and the tactical and psychological aspects shown by various teams at the European Championship. “There are many things to learn from them, both tactically and psychologically.”
Regarding the Asian Qualifiers, Japan is in the same group as China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and others. Moriyasu said, “This is a real group of death. Is this a coincidence? (referring to being in the same group as Saudi Arabia for three consecutive tournaments and Australia for five consecutive tournaments) All the teams capable of playing in the World Cup have been grouped together.”
When asked about the first home match against China, Moriyasu was very cautious. “Although we are playing at home, China is coming to play away, with almost no time difference and not a long journey, and the climate is similar. Our players, however, will be returning from Europe, and they will not only have jet lag, but also a different climate. This will be a tough match.”
In the first round of the last qualifying round, Japan lost to Oman in the first round, a major upset. Moriyasu specifically reminded the players to avoid a similar upset. “If we can’t play at 100% of our ability, it will be an extremely difficult match.”
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