Tuesday 16 January saw the third group-stage match for U-21 Japan at the AFC U-23 Championship China 2018 against U-23 DPR Korea in Jiangyin, China. U-21 Japan won the game 3-1, topping group B to advance to the knock-out stage.

Japan replaced the entire starting eleven from their second match. HATANO Go started in goal, while YANAGI Takahiro, SYOUJI Honoya, and KOGA Taiyo formed the defensive line. NAGANUMA Yoichi played on the right, URATA Itsuki on the left, and MORISHIMA Tsukasa and ITO Hiroki were positioned in a defensive midfield role. MIYOSHI Koji and HATATE Reo were placed beneath the striker KOMATSU Ren.

U-21 Japan came out aggressively, creating chances from the early minutes of the game. In the sixth minute, MIYOSHI reacted to a loose ball from a corner-kick to take a shot, nearly scoring but missed just wide. HATATE led ways to initiate the attack, while URATA corresponded by penetrating the left flank, but couldn’t connect at the end. In the 21st minute, ITO tried to capitalize from a turnover, quickly firing a shot, only for it to go straight to the goalkeeper. HATATE made an effort in the 28th minute, dribbling through a packed area successfully threading a pass to ITO, but ITO’s shot went just wide of the target.

Japan opens the scoring from a free kick earned in the 32nd minute. YANAGI gets to the end of ITO’s cross, tapping the ball into the goal with his thigh. Soon after, in the 43 minute, HATATE carried the ball up before releasing the ball to the overlapping ITO who ran long distance. ITO later reflected on the scene, “I saw MIYOSHI was open last time when I took a shot.” This time ITO sent a grounder towards MIYOSHI who slotted the ball into the right-hand corner with his left foot. MIYOSHI, who was captained for the match noted, “ITO sent an excellent pass, acknowledging the situation in the center properly. We were able to script out a good attacking pattern and score, so that was good.” Japan were able to shut down their opponent, ending the half at 2-0.

During half time, coach MORIYASU told the players to “keep the pressure on and play tenaciously as a team.” The Japanese side tried to create opportunities, however, DPR Korea, who needed a win to advance to the knockout stage, pounced on their opportunity. In the 52nd minute, DPR Korea intercepted a pass in their attacking end, Kim Yu Song responded quickly, getting through the Japanese defensive line to score a goal. With the goal, DPR Korea gained momentum, creating numbers of goal-scoring opportunities, showing dominance against Japan. During the stretch Japan showed great resistance, defending patiently waiting for the tide to change.

Japan’s patience pays off as HATATE earned a penalty kick in the 72nd minute. HATATE takes the penalty himself, scoring his first goal for the national team, stretching the lead to two goals. Led by HATANO, the Japanese defenders preserved the lead, earning Japan three points to top the group in the group stage.

Match details

Three matches were held at other sites on the same day. Palestine from group B, Iraq and Malaysia in group C each advanced to the quarterfinals. Wednesday 17 January will see games played between Korea Republic and Australia, Syria and Vietnam, completing the bracket for the knockout stage. Japan will face Uzbekistan on Friday 19 January in Jiangyin for their quarterfinal match.

Coach's and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach
Under the circumstance in which we needed a win or at least one point, the players understood our concept and displayed it well on the pitch, even though we replaced the entire starting line-ups from the second match. We faced a difficult stretch in the second half when we were up by two-goals, but that was somewhat expected facing a strong opponent with some of their players representing their top national team. We need to improve on our decision-makings and the quality of the off-ball movements, especially under pressure. In terms of offence, we performed well in the first half, but we could have spread the field and utilized side changes more effectively. But at the end, they did managed to add another goal after the score was 2-1. The opponents will get stronger as we progress. The players showed great resilience playing tenaciously through difficult stretch during this game, and I think we were able to gain great experience through it.

DF #5 YANAGI Takahiro (F.C.Tokyo)
When I scored, I was actually planning to trap the ball with my thigh, but it bounced in. It was great that I was able to contribute to my team with that goal. But personally, I found many issues and there are plenty of room for me to improve. In the first half, I was able to receive the ball in higher position, holding off the opponent’s forward. However, in the second half, they changed their play style, and I made many mistakes because I couldn’t adjust to their changes accordingly. I will learn from this match and improve my quality.

MF #21 ITO Hiroki (Jubilo Iwata U-18)
There were scenes where we were a bit rattled by our opponents, but we defended very well, and scoring in a great fashion. My teammates created space in front of the goal for me to make runs. (Reflecting on the goal scene) I received a pass from HATATE, and I was able to send a cross in. It was a play where I was able to show my strength. It will be a team effort to compete from here on. Everybody including the bench will have to do their best in order for us to move one.

FW #18 HATATE Reo (Juntendo University)
We played against DPR Korea in the M-150 CUP in December. They play a very physical game and it was a tough match. Today, I focused on my dribbling and shots. I think I was able to display my playing style except for the shots. Playing as an attacking midfielder I’d like to stay a little more keen on scoring goals.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

AFC U-23 Championship China 2018

Tournament Period: Wed. 10 - Sat. 27 January 2018

Japan's Matches:
Match 1st Wed. 10 January vs Palestine
Match 2nd Sat. 13 January vs Thailand
Match 3rd Tue. 16 January vs DPR Korea
Quarter-Final Fri. 19 January vs Uzbekistan

For more information