[ad_1]
Even with the highest continental rating and gamers of huge worldwide expertise, Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan squad faces a journey into the unknown in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers in opposition to North Korea.
Asian qualifying resumes Thursday with Japan internet hosting North Korea in Tokyo. 5 days later, Japan can be enjoying in Pyongyang in entrance of a possible crowd of fifty,000 — nearly solely North Korean — on the Kim Il Sung Stadium.
The Japan Soccer Affiliation’s request that the match be moved from the North Korean capital to a impartial venue amid considerations over a scarcity of operational transparency — together with visa and logistics info — was rejected by the Asian Soccer Confederation.
“There are in all probability a number of sudden issues that might occur,” Moriyasu, the Japan coach, mentioned. “We simply must be ready.″
Japan has tallied 10 targets in its opening two matches in opposition to Myanmar and Syria within the second spherical of Asian qualifying. Again-to-back wins over North Korea, which misplaced 1-0 to Syria earlier than responding with a 6-1 win over Myanmar, might guarantee it progresses to the third spherical as one of many high two groups in Group B.
However Japan’s nationwide males’s group hasn’t performed in Pyongyang since a 2011 loss to North Korea within the qualifying levels for the 2014 World Cup.
The final males’s worldwide in Pyongyang was again in 2019, when the visiting South Korea group complained a few lack of contact with the surface world and a very bodily method from the host group.
When Japan beat North Korea on the Asian Video games in October, gamers from the shedding group manhandled the referee.
“I admit that our gamers have been a bit bit over-excited within the match however it’s soccer,” North Korea coach Sin Yong Nam mentioned on the time. “However there are confrontations in soccer matches … I feel our habits is suitable.”
Moriyasu determined to not choose ahead Junya Ito, who has been investigated by police after being accused of sexual assault in Osaka final 12 months. Ito has been enjoying for French membership Reims, scoring the profitable objective in opposition to Metz on Sunday.
“I attempted to think about what the encircling surroundings would have been like for him in Japan and I didn’t assume it could be one that might permit him to dwell and play soccer in peace,” Moriyasu mentioned. “It wasn’t simply him – I didn’t assume the entire group would have been in a position to go about their enterprise in peace.”
South Korea, which is aiming for an eleventh successive look on the World Cup, additionally has controversy to take care of.
The group’s final sport was an upset Asian Cup semifinal loss to Jordan which resulted in Jurgen Klinsmann being fired as head coach. Since then, a reported scuffle through the match between star gamers Son Heung-min and Lee Kang-in that resulted in Son injuring his finger has been within the headlines.
Lee, who performs for Paris Saint-Germain, attracted fierce criticism on social media and later publicly apologized to Son, the group captain. Son subsequently requested followers to forgive the youthful participant. Interim coach Hwang Solar-hong has chosen each gamers for what can be his first sport in cost in opposition to Thailand in Seoul.
“I don’t assume this can be a drawback solely between the 2 of them,” Hwang mentioned. “Everybody who was there, from gamers to coaches to members of the help employees, has to take accountability … we must always all be ready to atone for our errors in entrance of our followers.”
Asian Cup champion Qatar performed within the final World Cup because the host nation however has by no means secured a spot on the world match through qualifying. The Qataris are decided to rectify that and are 2-0 to date within the second spherical of qualifying forward of their match in opposition to Kuwait.
Additionally on six factors atop their teams are Australia and Saudi Arabia.
The Socceroos, who’ve certified for the final 5 World Cups, host Lebanon in Sydney and Canberra and Saudi Arabia has dwelling and away video games in opposition to Tajikistan.
The highest two of every of the 9 teams will advance to the third spherical of qualifying. Asia’s automated World Cup allocation has elevated to eight for 2026.
__
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
John Duerden, The Related Press
[ad_2]
Source link
