{"id":4156,"date":"2024-02-03T13:35:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-03T03:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/?p=4156"},"modified":"2026-09-25T14:14:33","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T04:44:33","slug":"stick-or-twist-moriyasu-faces-suzuki-dilemma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theasiangame.net\/ro\/stick-or-twist-moriyasu-faces-suzuki-dilemma\/","title":{"rendered":"Stick or twist? Moriyasu faces Suzuki dilemma"},"content":{"rendered":"

What started as a question mark heading into the tournament, grew firstly into a dilemma and is now a full-blown problem that could have a major say in how far Japan progress at the AFC Asian Cup.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For a squad stacked with quality in midfield and a blend of promising talents and experienced heads across the backline, the issues were always likely to come at either end of the pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having not started the opening two games, Ayase Ueda has helped ease the concerns up front but in goal the problems are real and deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At fault for at least one of Vietnam\u2019s two goals in their opening match, again the first in an upset 2-1 defeat against Iraq, then spilling an effort at his near post to allow Indonesia to score and following that with a mix-up that allowed Bahrain to strike in the Round of 16, it\u2019s been a calamitous tournament for Zion Suzuki in the Japan goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With each match and each compounding error there\u2019s a sense that the young keeper\u2019s confidence and perhaps just as importantly those of his teammates in him, is waning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having to deal with reported online abuse midway through the tournament obviously hasn\u2019t helped things either, but so serious is the 21-year-old\u2019s complete form collapse that Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has to give serious thought to making a change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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As we\u2019ve seen throughout the knockout stages, it\u2019s moments that decide these close fixtures and if Japan continue to stick with a keeper so badly out of form, then chances of those mistakes costing Japan not points but rather their place in the competition continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The issue of how to deal with it comes with two considerations though, the first being Moriyasu\u2019s fairly stubborn approach of sticking with those who earned his trust initially, and on that front it\u2019s hard to see the veteran coach making a switch at this point of the tournament given that he\u2019s shown faith in Suzuki after each worrying performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second concern is whether or not the replacements are up to the level of a nation that\u2019s aiming to win the continental championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As impressive as he was in helping Vissel Kobe win the J.League last season, Daiya Maekawa, at 29, has just one international appearance (and that came last year) while Taishi Brandon Nozawa is uncapped and has never been a first choice option in Japan\u2019s top flight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suzuki himself had just four senior caps to his name heading into the Asian Cup and had never been more than a backup at J1 level prior to his European move six months ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the extent of the problem between the sticks it\u2019s surprising that there hasn\u2019t been more scrutiny of Moriyasu\u2019s decision to roll the dice at the back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\ud83c\udf0f \ud83c\udfc6 #AsianCup2023<\/a>

\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5 For as good as @jfa_samuraiblue<\/a> are, @mcintinhos<\/a> there are still concerns at the back.

Can #Vietnam<\/a> capitalise on that today? pic.twitter.com\/HuisNdTV81<\/a><\/p>— The Asian Game (@TheAsianGame) January 14, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>