Japan’s A team defeated Germany 4-1 on the road in September. This time, the U-22 team, which will compete in the Paris Olympics next year, defeated Argentina 5-2 at home.
The success of Japanese soccer has led to local reports that the A team and the age groups share the same soccer philosophy and are working to implement it.
Japan’s U-22 team defeated Argentina’s U-22 team 5-2 in a friendly match at the IAI Stadium in Shizuoka, Japan, on Oct. 18.
Japan’s U-22 team finished as runners-up to South Korea at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which concluded last October, and this is the same team that is aiming for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
A 5-2 victory over Argentina, even if it was at home and for an age-group team, is a huge accomplishment.
“Japan scored five goals against a ‘serious-minded’ Argentina,” reported Japan’s Sports Hochi, “Coach Oiwa Ko has consistently pursued ‘A-team-like soccer,’ and the young players implemented it well against an Argentina team full of future stars.” 무지개토토 도메인
“It’s the kind of result that gets you excited for next summer’s Paris Olympics,” the publication said, adding, “The current U-22 team is a textbook example of the current A team, which has been called ‘the strongest ever’. The A team’s slogan of regaining the ball as soon as it’s lost proved to be passed on to the U-22s. In fact, when the news broke of Japan’s A team’s victory over Germany during their trip to the United States in October, U-22 coach Oiwago used the game as a textbook to show his players, emphasizing ‘ball handling’ and ‘pressing speed’ in comparison to the U-22 team.”
Handa, who also had two assists on the day, added: “We emphasize the idea of winning the ball immediately after losing it. If you can’t do that, you don’t belong in the game. In today’s game, everyone did a good job.”
The same soccer philosophy is shared by Japan’s A team and the U-22 team preparing for the Olympics, with the A team winning against Germany and the U-22 team defeating Argentina 5-2.