Japan were tipped as favourites to win the Asian Cup but a shock defeat to Iraq has exposed the cracks in coach Hajime Moriyasu’s previously well-oiled machine.
The 2-1 loss leaves them facing a potential last-16 match with South Korea, assuming Japan still qualify from their final group game against Indonesia.
Even a draw on Wednesday would guarantee Japan progress, but after Friday’s reality check against a side ranked 46 places below them, they will be desperate for a morale-boosting win.
Moriyasu’s men went into the Iraq game off the back of a run of 10 straight wins where they scored 43 goals, including a 4-1 away victory over Germany.
Under Moriyasu, who has been in charge since 2018, they defeated Spain and Germany on the way to the last 16 at the Qatar World Cup just over a year ago.
But back in Doha again, they were outfought by a hungry Iraq side who gave them no time to settle. Liverpool’s Wataru Endo scored in injury time at the end, but Japan did not deserve anything more.
Reaction was unsparing back home, with commentator Sergio Echigo ripping into Japan’s flat performance.
“Iraq came at them with everything, playing like it was the final,” he wrote in the Nikkan Sports daily.
“Maybe Japan thought they were the better team because of their results, or maybe they thought they could take it easy, but they started the game very slowly.” Of the mounting problems suddenly facing Moriyasu, the biggest is his goalkeeper.
Iraq took the lead in the fifth minute when the inexperienced Zion Suzuki parried a cross straight into the path of striker Aymen Hussein, who headed home.—APP
