López Wagner, a former member of the Japanese national team, evaluated the Japanese national team.
Japanese media “Ultra Soccer” reported on the 21st (Korea time) that “Former Japanese national team striker Wagner pointed out the only shortcomings of the Japanese national team through Indonesian media.”
Wagner said, “The Japanese national team consists of players who play in the top league in Europe. The question of whether Indonesia can beat Japan is a difficult question. First of all, we have to play calmly. If you handle the ball well, you win in soccer.”
“The Japanese national team continues to grow. It is a highly regarded team. It is very strong, organized, and has good ball circulation. However, it just lacks decisive power.” The only weakness of Japan that Wagner said was its decisive power.
Wagner was a former striker and also played for the Japanese national team. Wagner played for the national team from 1997 to 1999 and scored five goals in 20 matches. Wagner spent most of his career in the J-League. He played for Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus, and FC Tokyo, and scored 96 goals in 177 matches in Japan. Wagner is currently serving as coach for PSS Slemans in Indonesia.
Japan is currently one of the strongest teams in Asia. Japan has been a powerhouse in Asia for a long time. It has produced many outstanding players by introducing an advanced soccer system early on. Notably, it has steadily achieved achievements in the international arena by establishing its own soccer team from the past. Japan advanced to the round of 16 at the 2018 Russia World Cup and 2022 Qatar World Cup, successfully advancing to the round of 16 for two consecutive tournaments.
Japan is aiming at the quarterfinals or higher at the 2026 North-China World Cup. Japan’s best performance so far was in the round of 16. Japan easily passed the second Asian qualifying round for the World Cup. Japan was in Group B along with North Korea, Syria and Myanmar. No team was comparable to Japan. Japan confidently passed the second qualifying round as No. 1 in the group, recording six points overall. Japan did not yield a single goal during six matches. 먹튀검증
Japan, ranked 18th in FIFA, received one port in the third preliminary round. Japan was tied in Group C along with Australia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and Indonesia. As the top and second places in Group C will directly advance to the World Cup finals, Japan is likely to qualify for the World Cup unless something unexpected happens.
As Wagner said, Japan’s weakness is the front line. Japan has many good players. There are many players who are maintaining their peak performance in Europe in various positions. However, it is true that Japan lacks the front line. Ayase Ueda and Koki Ogawa have recently shown their performance as strikers. They have consistently scored in the Asian qualifiers, but need to be verified in the global stage.