The Japanese national team put on a high-scoring performance in the first game. The European strikers, including Takumi Minamino (28-AS Monaco), made life difficult for Vietnam. Japan were without their main striker Kaoru Mitoma (26-Brighton & Hove Albion), with Takefusa Kubo (22-Real Sociedad) making a brief appearance as a substitute.
Japan won 4-2 against Vietnam at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar 2023 at the Altumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET in their first Group D match of the tournament. Minamino made his presence felt with a multi-goal performance, and after taking the lead, Japan stabilized in the second half to cruise to victory.
Led by head coach Hajime Moriyasu (55-Japan), Japan was a strong favorite heading into the tournament. The majority of the players on the Asian Cup roster have established themselves in major European leagues, with Mitoma and Kubo, who have also been prominent in the Premier League and Primera Liga, being the main targets for competitors. Other notable strikers in Europe's top five leagues include Minamino, Junya Ito (30-Stade de Reims), and Doan Ritsu (25-Freiburg).
With many media outlets and bookmakers picking Japan to win the tournament, the first game in 'Samurai Blue' was a much anticipated one. As expected, the out-of-form Mitoma was left off the roster, with Kubo waiting on the bench. Moriyasu went with an attacking lineup of Ito, Keito Nakamura (23-Stade de Reims), and Mao Hosoya (22-Kashiwa Reysol) with Minamino in the center.
Japan took the lead in the first 11 minutes when Minamino scored. They then took control of the game and threatened to score multiple goals, but Japan's plans were disrupted by goals from Nguyen Dinh Bac (19-Quang Nam) in the 16th minute and Pham Thuan Hai (25- Hanoi) in the 33rd minute. The deficit was quickly reversed, and Vietnam calmly dealt with a rattled Japan.
Taking the reins of the offense at the end of the first half, Japan regained the lead after Minamino equalized and Nakamura scored a Son Heung-min (31-Tottenham) reminiscent curling wonder goal. The second half was a subdued affair as Japan turned down the energy. After recording 12 shots on goal in the first half alone, Japan didn't try to attack too much and took their time passing the ball around. Coach Moriyasu used substitutions at intervals to keep his players energized.
Kubo was brought on in the 39th minute to check his fitness. Japan, who were playing with aplomb, sealed the win in the 40th minute when Ayase Ueda (25-Feyenoord) scored from a pass from Kubo. With four goals from their first 스포츠토토 game, they have become the highest-scoring team in the tournament. Despite the jitters that came with the blow, they were able to put together a strong offensive performance to secure the three points.
After winning the first leg, Japan will play their second match against Iraq in five days at 8:30 p.m. on Sept. 19 at the Education City Stadium. It will be interesting to see if Japan can put up a high-scoring performance against Iraq, who were solid against South Korea earlier.
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