The Japan national team roster for the 2022 Qatar World Cup was announced in a press conference that sent shockwaves through the football community. The exclusion of key players Yuya Osako and Genki Haraguchi, who had been mainstays since the team’s formation, became a major talking point.
The turning point came two months before the announcement, during a training camp in Germany. After receiving positive feedback from deploying Daizen Maeda as the lone striker, the coaching staff decided to prioritize speed and mobility over hold-up play. Takuma Asano, known for his pace like Maeda, was chosen as the second option, while Ayase Ueda was selected as the third striker, with an eye on rotation for the Costa Rica match.
Manager Hajime Moriyasu explained, “Considering various scenarios for the World Cup, we prioritized this selection based on our tactical plan.” Against Germany and Spain in the group stage, Japan anticipated long periods without possession, favoring forward players with mobility rather than strength in holding the ball. Haraguchi also lost his position due to a formation shift from 4-3-3 to 4-2-3-1 during the Germany camp, leading to his omission. Other notable absentees included Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate.
Nine players from the Tokyo Olympics squad, which Moriyasu had also coached, were selected. Including the three overage players (Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, and Wataru Endo), nearly half the roster consisted of Olympic veterans, leveraging the advantage of the dual-role manager. The average age at the time of announcement was 27.8 years, the second oldest in Japan’s World Cup history, and the domestic-based players numbered only six, a record low.
Yuta Nakayama withdrew the day after the squad announcement due to an Achilles tendon injury, prompting the late call-up of Shuto Machino. During the tournament, Daniel Schmidt, Eiji Kawashima, Gaku Shibasaki, and Machino did not see any playing time.
2022 Qatar World Cup Japan Squad:
– Goalkeepers: Shuichi Gonda, Daniel Schmidt, Eiji Kawashima
– Defenders: Maya Yoshida, Ko Itakura, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Shogo Taniguchi, Hiroki Sakai, Shogo Sasaki (misprint: likely Shogo Sakai? Actually Hiroki Sakai is correct, but original list: Shogo Sakai? Let’s verify original: 酒井宏樹 is Hiroki Sakai. Also: Sei Muro? List shows: Yuto Nagatomo, Yuta Nakayama (withdrew), Hiroki Ito.
– Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Ao Tanaka, Gaku Shibasaki, Junya Ito, Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo, Daichi Kamada, Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma, Yuki Soma
– Forwards: Daizen Maeda, Takuma Asano, Ayase Ueda, Shuto Machino (called up as replacement)
