EAFF Championship
Japan defended their title with a 1-0 win over Korea Republic to finish on nine points, with both head coaches taking a wider view of the tournament, which served as part of their preparations for the FIFA World Cup 2026.
With Europe-based players not part of his squad, Moriyasu relied on J1 League talent with the likes of Taisei Miyashiro and Ryo Germain among those given opportunities, with the Japan tactician pleased with what he saw.
With Europe-based players not part of his squad, Moriyasu relied on J1 League talent with the likes of Taisei Miyashiro and Ryo Germain among those given opportunities, with the Japan tactician pleased with what he saw.
“I really feel that the players have shown the depth of the overall player reserve of the Japanese national team,” said Moriyasu. “The selection of players for the World Cup will be really difficult.
“They really showed the depth of the overall lineup of the Japanese national team and the dignity of Japanese domestic football.
“I am very happy to see that through this tournament, the players have the idea of really wanting to be among the World Cup lineup.”
“They really showed the depth of the overall lineup of the Japanese national team and the dignity of Japanese domestic football.
“I am very happy to see that through this tournament, the players have the idea of really wanting to be among the World Cup lineup.”
Korea Republic head coach Hong also relied on players from K League 1 with Park Jin-seop, Seo Min-woo and Lee Dong-gyeong among those to feature prominently.
Former Korea Republic central defender and captain Hong also used the three matches to experiment with a new defensive formation.
Former Korea Republic central defender and captain Hong also used the three matches to experiment with a new defensive formation.
“Of course the (final) result was disappointing and the manner in which we conceded goals was also disappointing but other than that, I think the players showed a good performance,” said Hong.
“It was a short camp but the attitude the players showed throughout this call-up was admirable. Before this match (against Japan), I thought that while the result was important, we also needed to give the three-back formation sufficient consideration.
“Of course, there will be different evaluations after today's game, but I think the three-back formation we tested showed a fair amount of competitiveness. If they continue to perform consistently, I think they will be able to advance to the World Cup Finals.”
Photos: EAFF
“It was a short camp but the attitude the players showed throughout this call-up was admirable. Before this match (against Japan), I thought that while the result was important, we also needed to give the three-back formation sufficient consideration.
“Of course, there will be different evaluations after today's game, but I think the three-back formation we tested showed a fair amount of competitiveness. If they continue to perform consistently, I think they will be able to advance to the World Cup Finals.”
Photos: EAFF
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