FIFA U-17 World Cup: Japan look to improve on previous showings - Hindustan Times
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FIFA U-17 World Cup: Japan look to improve on previous showings

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By
Sep 23, 2017 07:33 PM IST

Japan has failed to make it beyond the quarterfinals in the previous editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, something The Blue Samurai will hope to improve on this year.

Japan reached the quarter-finals in the first World Cup they qualified for as hosts in 1993 under Tadatoshi Komine. The next time they got that far was in 2011, topping a group that had Argentina, France and Jamaica.

Japan has never won the FIFA U-17 World Cup, despite being a footballing powerhouse in Asia.(FIFA)
Japan has never won the FIFA U-17 World Cup, despite being a footballing powerhouse in Asia.(FIFA)

The Blue Samurai blanked New Zealand 6-0 in the next round but missed the last-four berth after losing to Brazil 3-2. This team has some players equated with some legends but coach Yoshiro Moriyama wants his boys to play with 2018 Russia World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind.

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“This is just the beginning; the world is before them,” he has said. As expected of the Japanese, they have played a slew of friendlies this year to ensure a through preparation.

KNOW THE COACH: Yoshiro Moriyama

Yoshiro Moriyama, 49, is a former Japan defender who has vast experience playing and coaching in the J-League.His boys are known to favour a very compact style of play with a lot of emphasis on percentage football involving swift counter-attacks sandwiched between defensive play. The free-scoring form of the Japanese in the AFC Under-16 championship --- 24 goals in five games --- underscored the effectiveness of Moriyama’s strategy.

PAST U-17 PERFORMANCE: Quarter-finals: 1993, 2011. Round of 16: 2013. Group stage: 1995, 2001, 2007, 2009. Did not qualify: 1985-91, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2015.

PASSAGE TO INDIA: Japan earned a ticket to India by virtue of an impressive performance in the 2016 AFC Under-16 championship.

Results in AFC U-16: Bt Vietnam 7-0; bt Kyrgyzstan 8-0; bt Australia 6-0 (Round 1); Bt UAE 1-0 (Quarter-finals); Lost to Iraq 4-2 (Semi finals)

POSSIBLE GAME CHANGERS

Name: Takefusa Kubo

Age: 16

Club: FC Tokyo

Position: Forward

Why he is special: Dubbed as the Japanese Messi, he is the youngest player to score in the J-League and represented Japan at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in May this year.

Name: Hiroto Yamada

Age: 17

Club: Cerozo Osaka

Position: Forward

Why he is special: Speed and dribbling skill made him the first player born in 2000 to make an appearance in the senior Japanese football league system.

Name: Kosei Tani

Age: 16

Club: Gamba Osaka Youth

Position: Goalkeeper

Why he is special: Three clean sheets in the Asian U-16 last year helped Japan progress to the semi-finals.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Rahul Karmakar was part of Hindustan Times’ nationwide network of correspondents that brings news, analysis and information to its readers. He no longer works with the Hindustan Times.

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