SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) faced Bahrain on September 10 (Tuesday) at the National Stadium in Bahrain, winning decisively 5-0 in the FIFA World Cup 26 Asian Final Qualifiers (3rd Qualifying Round). This secures them a record of consecutive wins in Group C, placing them at the top of the standings.
Just like in the previous match against China, Japan adopted a 3-4-2-1 formation, with the starting lineup remaining nearly unchanged except for Kamada Daichi (Crystal Palace) replacing Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) in the shadow position.
The goalkeeper was Ayase Suzuki (Parma Calcio), with the defenders lined up from the right: Ko Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Shōgo Taniguchi (Sint-Truidense VV), and Kōki Machida (Union Saint-Gilloise). The double pivot consisted of Wataru Endo (Liverpool FC) and Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP). The right wingback was Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg), and the left wingback was Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion FC), while the two shadow players were Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco) and Kamada. The lone striker was Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord).
From the early moments, Japan maintained a compact formation, actively moving the ball within the opponent’s half. In the 9th minute, Mitoma’s cross was met by Doan, who dove in for Japan’s first real chance. The shot struck the left post, resulting in no goal, but the attack gained momentum from there. Minamino threatened the goal in the 18th minute and Ueda in the 24th, finally breaking the deadlock in the 37th minute with a well-structured attack.
A floated pass sent by Morita into the penalty area was initially cleared, but Endo collected the loose ball. He quickly delivered a through ball, allowing Kamada to return it from the right side of the penalty box, which hit the hand of an opponent, earning a penalty kick. Ueda calmly converted it despite the distraction from a laser pointer, helping Japan take the lead.
At the start of the second half, shortly after the lead, Junya Ito (Stade de Reims) came on for Doan and immediately contributed to a goal. In the 47th minute, Minamino stole the ball and combined with Mitoma and Kamada, setting up Ito on the right side. Ito delivered a swift return that Ueda managed to trap with a half-turn, skillfully striking with his right foot to score his second goal of the day.
Japan continued to press and in the 61st minute, a vertical one-two with Ueda led to a goal in the 64th minute, where Morita volleyed in off a left cross from Mitoma, extending their lead.
In the 81st minute, two substitutes combined to add another goal. Keito Nakamura (Stade de Reims) had a shot stopped by the opposing goalkeeper from the left side of the penalty area, but Kōki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen) reacted to the rebound, scoring the fifth goal with a header, extending Japan’s lead over Bahrain.
The match ended with a score of 5-0. Japan celebrated as the only team with consecutive wins in Group C of the Asian final qualification, already at the top of the standings.
The next match will be against Saudi Arabia away on October 10, and on October 15 at home against Australia.
Comments from Coach and Players
Moriyasu Hajime, Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Regarding today’s match, we struggled to create chances in the first half, and there was a possibility of conceding as well. It was good that we managed to hold on, but even though it was a big win, I don’t think it was an easy match.
For the starting lineup, we made just one change due to the short preparation time. This was to allow the players to utilize their recent match experience as much as possible, which led to the decision to make only one substitution. Analyzing our opponent, they had been playing in a 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 format in their recent matches, but it was uncertain how they would play against us. Our formation is flexible, switching easily from 3-4-2-1 to 3-5-2, and all the players have been performing well in training. Kamada was particularly impressive, which influenced my decision.
MF/FW #5 Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP / Portugal)
The match against China also had different impressions in the first and second halves, and today was similar. I expected a tight match and had the image that we would be contesting second balls. I aimed for a setup resembling two pivots as much as possible. The second half became more open, as their forwards started to drop back to our center-backs, creating space in the middle. Overall, I think it was a positive match (for me). I always aim to score goals and want to finish in every game, but today (Kamada) Daichi opened up space for me. I am influenced both positively and negatively by the players and the unit I play with.
MF/FW #9 Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord / Netherlands)
I think it was good to score two goals in the end. However, I wanted to create more chances and increase my shot count. (Regarding the penalty) I was able to create the right timing and shoot at my pace. (As for the laser pointer) I was focused, so I didn’t notice it. (For the second goal) I was able to half-turn in the penalty area and face forward, which meant I was only thinking about taking the shot, being conscious not to miss the opportunity. I swung through decisively, and it flew well into the goal.
MF/FW #15 Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace / England)
In the match against China, the team performed very well, and I felt a sense of urgency regarding my position. I realized I had to showcase my different strengths compared to other players. (On winning the penalty) As a winger, it’s important for us to create a five-man front against their four defenders and consistently target the pockets. I believe that continuing to do that will be one of our strongest points against a team with four at the back, and I hope to maintain that mentality going forward.
FIFA World Cup 26 Asian Final Qualifiers (3rd Qualifying Round)
Scheduled kick-off on September 10, 2024 (Tuesday) at 19:00 (Japan Time: September 11, Wednesday, 1:00) vs Bahrain
Venue: Refah (Bahrain) / Bahrain National Stadium
For more tournament information click here