“Japan’s 1-2 defeat against Iraq eliminated the possibility of winning the group title,” Japanese media Tokyo Sports said on Tuesday. “If Japan passes the second place, it will face off against Korea in the first match of the tournament,” adding, “Korea is also wary of a match against Japan. We can consider ways to avoid a match against Japan through the result of the match against Jordan.”
Japan, which is confident of ranking No. 1 in the group, lost to Iraq on Wednesday. It is impossible to regain the lead in the group. As a result of the match, Iraq has two wins and six points, and Japan has one win, one loss and three points. According to the winner’s rule, Japan cannot overturn its ranking even if it wins the remaining matches by a large margin.
Hence, chances are high that the Korean team will meet Korea in the round of 16 strongest teams. The Korean national soccer team, led by coach Jurgen Klinsmann, is considered the strongest team in Group E. It beat Bahrain 3-1 in the first match, and will meet Jordan and Malaysia in turn. Japanese media also seem to predict Korea would lose the game.
However, Japan is confident that it will win the match against Korea. A Japanese netizen told Yahu Japan, “Korea runs the match with short passes. You don’t want to meet Japan in the round of 16. Japan is weak against a team that only plays long balls. It will enable the team to properly play against a team that uses technological soccer.” This comment was highly recommended in a Tokyo Sports article.
Japan was on the verge of defeat in the first match against Vietnam. Even after scoring the first goal, Japan lost two goals in the first half, and was dragged out. It was completely defeated in the second match against Iraq. After allowing two header goals in the first half, the team pushed Iraq until the end of the second half, but failed to defend itself tightly.
Still, Japan is confident of winning the title. One Japanese commenter said, “The Korean coach will not want to be burdened with elimination from the round of 16. He may consider avoiding a match against Japan. A coach’s performance is directly related to his career.” “Japan will be able to win the title if it meets Korea at the beginning of a tournament. Jordan or Saudi Arabia is the toughest team,” and added, “If you change your goalkeeper or defense strategy, your performance will rebound.”
Of course, some Japanese soccer fans are wary of ultra-luxury players including Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), and Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich). Some Japanese soccer fans said, “What if Korea also plays long ball. We are not weak in set plays either,” “Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in are scary to Japan,” and “It would be tiring to block Son. I wanted to play against them in the final if possible.”
South Korea will meet Jordan in the second group match at 8:30 p.m. on the 20th. Jordan beat Malaysia 4-0 in the first match and recaptured the top spot in the group. Japan will play its final group match against Indonesia, led by coach Shin Tae-yong, on the 24th.
