{"id":2940,"date":"2022-11-01T22:08:38","date_gmt":"2022-11-01T11:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/?p=2940"},"modified":"2026-09-25T11:23:48","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T01:53:48","slug":"moriyasu-springs-world-cup-selection-surprise","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/moriyasu-springs-world-cup-selection-surprise\/","title":{"rendered":"Moriyasu springs World Cup selection surprise"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Asian Game’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is proudly sponsored by SMC.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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At the end of pretty much every friendly match that Japan plays there\u2019s a collection of giant cardboard cut outs, usually involving an oversized alcoholic beverage, that the visiting captain is forced to uncomfortably pose in front of.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Things were slightly toned down this week when a monotone Hajime Moriyasu named, player by player as if he were reading the class roll, his 26-man squad that will carry the nation\u2019s hopes in Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still, less than 20 centimetres away from the Japan coach, were a couple of actual beers \u2013 the kind that Celtic supporters may be reaching for with the news that Kyogo Furuhashi and, to a lesser degree, Reo Hatate didn\u2019t make that final cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a squad of few surprises the omission of Furuhashi, along with Yuya Osako and Genki Haraguchi, count as the most notable whilst Nagoya\u2019s Yuki Soma is the closest that the conservative Japan boss will ever have to being a bolter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Otherwise it was pretty much as expected; the same collection of goalkeepers, fullbacks, central defenders, wide and central midfielders that have started most of Japan\u2019s recent full internationals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Up front things are more interesting though as there was, oddly, only one pure striker named in the group and that\u2019s Belgium-based Ayase Ueda, a player that\u2019s never scored a senior international goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daizen Maeda, Takuma Asano and Daichi Kamada can and have played up front previously but none are out and out number nines and that speaks loudly as to how Moriyasu intends to play in a tough group that contains Germany and Spain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right back to his days at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, Moriyasu has valued a defensive solidity that borders on rigidity where individual creativity is sacrificed for team cohesion and control and this squad is one very much constructed with the same ethos as its central tenet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The signs have long been there that Furuhashi was far from a certaintity to make the final cut; of the last 13 matches where the regular national team players were available and he was fit, the Celtic man started just three times and was regularly pitched in late off the bench.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His movement between and along the lines in Celtic\u2019s 4-3-3 always seemed to suit him more than as a winger or lone striker in what seems certain to be a 4-2-3-1 that Japan will play in Qatar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s go Samurai Blue! \ud83c\udf8c\ud83d\udc4a

\ud83d\udce2 @jfa_samuraiblue<\/a> have their final squad for the @FIFAWorldCup<\/a> and 6\ufe0f\u20e3 #JLEAGUE<\/a> players have been included in the squad! \ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udfc6\ud83c\udf0f

\ud83d\udcf8: JFA pic.twitter.com\/4tE85Ymmmh<\/a><\/p>— J.LEAGUE Official (English) (@J_League_En) November 1, 2022<\/a><\/blockquote>