On Friday 15 November, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) played their fifth match of Group C in the final round of the FIFA World Cup 26™ Asian Qualifiers in Jakarta, where they defeated Indonesia 4-0. The win takes the team's record to four wins and one draw, giving them 13 points and keeping them at the top of the standings at the halfway stage. They now face China PR in Xiamen on Tuesday 19 November.

Over 60,000 fans packed the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Jakarta, most of them wearing the home team’s red to create a completely away atmosphere for the visitors, with the home supporters cheering enthusiastically even before kick-off and loud boos echoing throughout the stadium as the Japanese players were introduced.

Japan, aiming to qualify for their eighth consecutive World Cup, stuck with a 3-4-3 formation despite the absence of injured players TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV) and UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord). SUZUKI Zion (Parma Calcio 1913) started in goal with a backline of ITAKURA Kou (Borussia MG), HASHIOKA Daiki (Luton Town) and MACHIDA Koki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise). ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC) and MORITA Hidemasa (Sporting CP) anchored the midfield, while DOAN Ritsu (SC Freiburg) and MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion FC) were deployed on the flanks. MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco) and KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace) were placed in the centre under lone striker OGAWA Koki (NEC Nijmegen).

The match kicked off under a thunderstorm that began just before kick-off, and it was the home side who took the early initiative.

Indonesia, who have a large number of naturalised players playing in European and other overseas leagues, showed plenty of aggression to win the ball and look for opportunities to counter from their 5-4-1 formation, with the likes of Ragnar ORATMANGOEN, Yakob SAYURI and Rafael STRUICK leading the attack.

Indonesia's best chance came in the ninth minute when Oratmangoen latched onto a long ball from deep in his own half and, after beating his marker, raced towards Japan's goal to create a one-on-one situation, but Suzuki calmly closed the gap to save the shot.

The home side continued to create chances on the counter-attack, but Japan began to settle down around the 15th minute and began to regain possession of the ball.

The opening goal came in the 35th minute when Endo took the ball from the halfway line and played it to Machida on the left. The defender's pass into the box was met by Morita's deflection, creating a one-on-one situation for Kamada, who calmly slotted the ball into the middle, forcing an Indonesian defender to make a sliding tackle on Ogawa and concede an own goal.

Japan's second goal came just five minutes later when Kamada played Mitoma through on the left, allowing the winger to pick out Minamino, whose left-footed shot found the back of the net. It was Minamino's 24th international goal and moved him into 10th place on Japan's all-time scoring list, tying NAKAMURA Shunsuke.

With a 2-0 lead, head coach MORIYASU Hajime introduced MAEDA Daizen (Celtic FC) at the start of the second half, placing the speedy forward to the left wing while shifting Mitoma inside.

Japan continued their dominance in the second half and added a third goal in the 49th minute when Morita collected an errant pass from the opposing goalkeeper and unleashed a shot from the edge of the box.

Both teams made substitutions in the 62nd minute, with Japan bringing on ITO Junya (Stade de Reims) and SUGAWARA Yukinari (Southampton FC), while Indonesia introduced Pratama ARHAN, formerly of J.League side Tokyo Verdy.

The two substitutes paid immediate dividends for Japan as they combined on 69 minutes, the pair working a pass-and-go down the right flank before Sugawara unleashed a powerful shot into the top corner to make it 4-0.

Despite the home side's best efforts with long throws and counter-attacks, the Japanese defence showed great composure to keep their opponents at bay. HATATE Reo (Celtic FC) came off the bench in the 79th minute alongside OHASHI Yuki (Blackburn Rovers), who was making his senior debut.

The other matches in Group C were played on Thursday, with Australia drawing 0-0 at home to Saudi Arabia and China PR making it two wins in a row with a 1-0 win away to Bahrain.

Japan finished the first half of the AFC Asian Qualifiers seven points clear of second-placed Australia and third-placed Saudi Arabia. China PR moved up to fourth on six points, with Bahrain fifth on five. Indonesia, who now have three points after three draws and two defeats, dropped to bottom.

The top two teams from each group will automatically qualify for the FIFA World Cup 26™, to be co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, while the third and fourth place teams will advance to the playoffs to compete for the remaining spots.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
I am very happy to be playing in the passionate atmosphere that surrounds football in Indonesia. The atmosphere created by the Indonesian fans put a lot of pressure on us. We told the players before the game that they would have to hang on for a long time. They managed to deny their opponents in the early stages of the game and then took control by keeping their composure. I commend the players for their patience and resilience.
In the early stages of the game, the players aggressively attacked the space behind their opponents, showing that they were not going to be overwhelmed by their opponents' momentum and that they were going to go out and win the game. Despite the difficulties we were facing, the players were able to turn the game around by attacking at the right moments, while at the same time keeping their composure and assessing the flow of the game. I think the victory was made possible by the fact that even after we scored, we kept the pressure on and kept our focus on the goal. In a game where it was difficult to break down the opposition's defence, we kept pushing forward with our combination play, which led to the opening goal, and I think that goal gave us confidence for the rest of the game.
We are top of our group, seven points clear of second place, but we have not yet secured a place at the World Cup. We must continue to fight hard and not let up until we achieve our goal of qualifying for the World Cup. We are challenging ourselves to become the best in the world, so we will continue to make steady progress one step at a time, striving to win every game and grow as a team.
I understand that there are around 20,000 Japanese living in Indonesia. I think the fact that the Japanese supporters continued to cheer us on in this away match was a driving force that helped the players fight to the end today, so I would like to thank all the supporters.

GK #1 SUZUKI Zion (Parma Calcio 1913/Italy)
(On the save at the start of the game) I was able to react calmly. My opponent was dribbling towards me and as soon as I closed in on him, I knew I could get the ball if I timed myself to the moment he cut inside. In Italy, I've conceded goals from plays where I didn't close the gap and allowed the opposition to shoot from distance, so I concentrated on closing in on my opponent. I'm happy that I did well in that situation, but there were two or three other passes that we allowed to get across our goal, so I think we need to look at the footage and reflect on it properly. I can't remember exactly the play that led to the second goal, but there were definitely times when our opponents weren't on the same page, so even when I was under pressure I made a conscious effort to get the ball to our centre halves and I'm glad it worked.

DF #2 SUGAWARA Yukinari (Southampton FC/England)
I am happy to have scored the goal that put the game away. When I received the ball, I noticed that there wasn't much space for a cross, so I decided to take a shot based on the opponents’ positioning. My team-mates have always encouraged me when I haven't had much game time, so I'd like to thank them. It was definitely a goal that was made possible by my team-mates.

DF #16 MACHIDA Koki (Royale Union Saint-Gilloise/Belgium)
In the build-up to our first goal, I was wide open when I received the ball, so I was able to keep my composure and make the pass with ease. The game could have been different if we had conceded from our early mistakes, so we need to think about that. There is always a risk of conceding a one-on-one if either myself or Hashioka cannot hold one of the three attackers, so that is another area of our game that we need to work on.

MF/FW #6 ENDO Wataru (Liverpool FC/England)
Given the rain, the condition of the pitch and the fact that we were playing away to a team with a lot of momentum, we tried to keep our game simple. (Looking back at the start of the game) We needed to be more compact in the middle and apply more pressure to keep their three attackers at bay. We need to improve our defending against opponents like that, especially when you consider that every one-on-one situation can have a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

MF/FW #8 MINAMINO Takumi (AS Monaco/France)
I am happy that I have been able to contribute to the team by scoring goals. I hope I can continue to contribute by scoring goals in our next game. We were able to set up well from the left, so I made a conscious effort to make myself available in the middle. Mitoma did a great job of getting the ball into an open space and with the game approaching half-time, I had already made up my mind to take my chance and in this case I knew I had to go for the near post. I am happy that it went the way I wanted it to. (On the team's 4-1-0 record) Considering we have a lot of experienced players, this is the kind of record everyone expects from us. But we have not achieved anything yet, so we have to concentrate on the games ahead.

MF/FW #18 OHASHI Yuki (Blackburn Rovers/England)
Considering that this game was played in a unique away atmosphere, this 4-0 victory really shows our true mettle. Personally, I want to improve the quality of my plays and become a player that can score goals in any given situation. I want to play in a position close to the goal and produce results.

MF/FW #19 OGAWA Koki (NEC Nijmegen/Netherlands)
(Reflecting on the team's first goal) I made a conscious effort to position myself in dangerous areas for our opponents. It's something I've always worked on, and it wasn't by chance that I was there at that moment. The fact that I was able to get in front of the defender led to the goal. The team's victory should be prioritised over anything, but it makes it even better when I can contribute with my goal. I will continue to focus on what I can do to help the team win, regardless of the environment.

SHIN TAE YONG, Head Coach of Indonesia National Team
I would like to congratulate the Japan National Team and coach Moriyasu. It is a disappointing result, but we must accept this defeat and move on. We are far behind Japan in terms of ability in various aspects of football, including the FIFA rankings, and it is not easy for our players to maintain a high level of concentration for the full 90 minutes. But I think the result would have been different if we had capitalised on our early chances. (Although the team is currently 6th) I think we have a chance of finishing 3rd or 4th, so we'll continue to work towards that goal, and I want the team to continue to work together to achieve it.

AFC Asian Qualifiers - Road To 26 [11/15]

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs Indonesia National Team
Date: Fri. 15 November 2024, 19:00 (Fri. 15 November, 21:00 Japan time)
Venue: Gelora Bung Karno Stadium (Jakarta, Indonesia)
Tournament information