Patrick Kluibert, head coach of the Indonesian national soccer team, praised Japanese soccer as "World Cup level."메이저사이트
Japan defeated Indonesia 6-0 in the final Group C match of the third Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA North-China World Cup at Panasonic Stadium in Osaka on the 10th.
There was considerable gap in quality. Japan, the first country to advance to the World Cup finals in North Korea and the U.S., beat Indonesia lightly as if the Asian qualifying round was not difficult. Indonesia naturalized a large number of players of mixed race from the Netherlands and showed good performance enough to advance to the fourth qualifying round, which is like a playoff, but failed to display strong performance against Japan.
Despite this, Japan has chosen a bold rotation. As Japan confirmed its advance to the World Cup finals in March, the team excluded some key players from the upcoming call-up, including Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton and Hove Albion) and Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco). The team's intention was to identify new players as much as possible.
The match against Indonesia was practically the same as the second tier team. Captain and ace Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) and veteran midfielder Endo Wataru (Liverpool) were among the starters, but most of them were back-up players for the national team.
Japan, along with Kubo and Endo, formed a lineup of Machino Shuto (Holstein Kiel), Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace), Shunsuke Mito (Sparta Rotterdam), Kaishu Sano (Mainz 05), Ryoya Morishita (Leggia Warsaw), Ayumu Seko (Cerezo Osaka), Kota Takai (Kawasaki Frontale), Junnosuke Suzuki (Shonan Belmare), and Keisuke Osako (San Presse Hiroshima).
Japan took the lead by scoring the first goal in the 14th minute of the first half. Kamada finished the cross that Mito put up from the left side with a header and shook the net.
Kubo, who wore the captain's armband, also scored a goal. Kubo, who received the ball again after connecting the corner kick in the 18th minute of the first half, was blocked by the goalkeeper once, but Japan ran away 2-0 as he received a pass from Machino, who caught the protruding ball and solved it again.
Before the end of the first half, Japan scored its third goal. Kamada, who received Kubo's pass in the 50th minute of the first half, scored 3-0 after beating two Indonesian defenders with individual skills.
Japan shook Indonesia's net in the second half as well. Japan lost a critical opportunity early in the second half, but soon began to show off its determination. In the 9th minute of the second half, Machino, who dug deep to the left of the penalty box, crossed toward the other side, and Morissita scored a goal with a volley shot.
Japan put the ball in the net again. Just three minutes later, he completed the game 5-0 with Japan's unique connection pass at the opponent's gate. Machino calmly finished the pass where Kubo exquisitely lifted the ball. Kubo scored one goal and two assists on the day, showing off his ace appearance.
Japan ended the game by inviting Kubo and Kamada to join the team. Still, their scoring streak never stopped. Even Hosoya Mao (Kashiwa Reysol) scored at the 35th minute of the second half to end the game 6-0.
Japan has caught two birds with one stone: checking the players and winning. As Moriyasu failed to select the first team players, Japanese media expressed concern over a possible drop in FIFA ranking. Criticism has been mounting as it was expected that the team would remain at 17th place after losing to Australia, falling two notches. Managing FIFA ranking is important for Japan, which is participating in the World Cup, to receive good seed in groupings. Against this backdrop, Japan defeated Indonesia and successfully secured two ports.
The Indonesian team was shocked. It is true that the team secured the fourth place in the group, which can play in the fourth preliminary match against China. However, when he lost 0-6 to Japan without a single shot, his expression hardened.
Notably, Coach Kluivert, who replaced Shin Tae-yong as a naturalized player, said, "Japan feels at a high level in the World Cup individually and as a team. Japan deserves to win. It was completely dominated by Japan with genuine quality."
"Japan was a very good team. It is too big for us to play against," Kluibert said. "Japan is a team that can make it difficult for anyone we meet right now. They are very technical and athletic. Their movements are appropriate, and their pressing is excellent. Whoever wins the World Cup will face a very strong Japan," he continued, giving compliments to the end.