Review of IR Iran vs Japan at AFC Asian Cup 2023
Joji Imamiya
Japan's 2023 AFC Asian Cup campaign ended disappointingly after defeat against the Iranians at the quarter-final stage. The pre-tournament favourites floundered in the group stage with two unconvincing wins over Southeast Asian opposition and a loss to Iraq at the Education City Stadium, which also turned out to be the venue for their demise against Iran. In this article, Soccerphile dissects every player who made it onto the pitch versus Team Melli.
Starting Eleven
Zion Suzuki (Goalkeeper, Sint-Truidense V.V.): The player who was in the headlines most. With Japan failing to keep a clean sheet, his error in the match with Indonesia was indicative of his shakiness. Suzuki possesses great reflexes, and his distribution is adequate at the Asian level. What caused havoc for his defenders was his unwillingness to come out and claim crosses into the box. It forced Tomiyasu and Itakura to push back constantly and allowed Iran to progress into dangerous areas. The security that Shūichi Gonda provided at Qatar 2022 was severely missed. 3/10
Hiroki Ito (Left-back, Stuttgart): Employed as left-back instead of Huddersfield's Yuta Nakayama for his height. It is important to note that he plays in a back three for his club, and was often out of his depth on this occasion. Ito did not have the skill set to find passing lanes into midfield and spent the majority of the match passing the ball sideways. Manager Hajime Moriyasu is the biggest problem here but it is also true Ito did not display any of the capabilities that Stuttgart fans have become accustomed to. 3/10
Takehiro Tomiyasu (Centre-back, Arsenal): The only one who can keep his head held high in defence. Japan's defensive line was ragged as Tomiyasu demanded a high line, but Itakura preferred to play safe and stay deep. He was a calm and assured presence and rarely looked flustered no matter the circumstances. It was a shame to see him collide with Itakura in the last minute to concede the crucial penalty. 6/10
Ko Itakura (Centre-back, Borussia Mönchengladbach): A sobering experience for the ex-Manchester City man. Picked up a yellow card early on and had a slight knock to contend with. As the game wore on, he became increasingly disoriented by Iran's route-one tactics and shrunk in stature. Back to the drawing board in the Bundesliga. 1/10
Seiya Maikuma (Right-back, Cerezo Osaka): The breakout star for the Samurai Blues during these championships. Although he started as a virtual nobody hailing from the domestic league, his stock has shot up since due to his tenacity and clever involvement in attacking play. Nonetheless, Maikuma was desperate for some leadership in this game (which was not forthcoming) and could not contain Iran's overload from the left-hand side. This quarter-final tie was a reality check for him. 5/10
Wataru Endo (Holding midfielder, Liverpool): It is difficult to assess Endo's performances. The barrage of Iranian attacks did not come through the midfield and rendered his role effectively useless. When the defensive shape collapsed in front of him, it was futile for one man to shore up the midfield. Considering his goal in the group stage, Soccerphile is inclined to give a generous rating. 5/10
Daizen Maeda (Left-wing, Celtic): Limited in footballing prowess, but never faulted for his commitment, Maeda continues to be a salient figure for Japan. He was a bright spark in an otherwise blunt attack and stretched the opposing full-backs to create space for Ueda and Kubo to exploit. Fans could question Moriyasu's decision to swap Maeda for Mitoma midway through the second half, but this was always the plan, to begin with, and by now we are all aware of the manager's inflexible character. 7/10
Hidemasa Morita (Central midfield, Sporting CP): The spotlight has mostly fallen onto Morita after the fallout. A tactically intelligent midfielder and capable of dictating the tempo of a match, Morita had taken on many responsibilities that most of his compatriots shied away from. Morita decided not to criticize the coach directly but his comments did expose the limits of the players coming up with the precise tactics game-by-game. This "bottom-up" approach, as it was called in Japan, worked wonders against the big teams where the game plan was clear (notably against Spain, Germany and Turkey/USA) but could not cope with the incessant long balls hurled into the Japanese box by Iran. 6/10
Take Kubo (Central midfield, Real Sociedad): By far the most technically gifted player in the squad. At La Real, Kubo has the privilege of linking up with other technicians in Mikel Oyarzabal, Mikel Merino and Ander Barrenetxea but was left to his own devices in Al Rayyan to come up with some magic. Unlike the past great midfielders such as Nakata and Honda, Kubo is not the type to take the game by the scruff of the neck and assert dominance. He needed protection, but Morita and Endo were too occupied with cutting out the Iranian supply line, and Kubo was left isolated. 4/10
Ritsu Doan (Right-wing, SC Freiburg): Doan's brazen nature was fully displayed in Qatar 2022 as he established himself as a big-game player. In 2024, however, he exposed his technical unreliability and imprecise finishing. Doan missed numerous big chances in the group games. Japan cannot trust him to provide cutting-edge in the future. 4/10
Ayase Ueda (Centre-forward, Feyenoord): In some ways, Ueda's presence is a potential game-changer for Japan. Yuya Osako had performed adequately before but his most prolific days were spent playing in the J. League, and could not cement a starting berth in a top-five European league. Ueda, on the other hand, has had to contend with the emergence of a Mexican striker in Santiago Gimenez. Perhaps Japanese fans may have to be a bit more patient to see an out-and-out No.9 playing regularly for a club as big as Feyenoord. Deadly during the group stage, the Iranian defenders marshalled Ueda well in the quarter-finals. Was provided with a good opportunity from a cross but his header was wayward. 5/10
Substitutes
Kaoru Mitoma (For Take Kubo, Brighton): Needed more time to see the best of him after his injury versus Crystal Palace before Asian Cup 2023. 4/10
Takumi Minamino (For Maeda, AS Monaco): Has a habit of disappearing for long periods in important games. Exceptional in the group games. 6/10
Mao Hosoya (For Morita, Kashiwa Reysol): Did not represent the J. League well. Slightly out of his depth at this level. 4/10
Takuma Asano (For Doan, VfL Bochum 1848): Used as the first man to initiate the pressing game. Moriyasu sees him as an expendable item. 4/10
Other losers of the tournament
Roberto Mancini: With reports from Italy suggesting a contract worth €25m (£21.5m) after tax per year, Roberto Mancini is a wealthy man. Unfortunately for the Saudi FA, a lucrative deal has not brought immediate success, but a man accused of being a mercenary. Mancini walked out from their last-16 tie with South Korea during the penalty shootout which called his desire for the job into question. Mancini stays on, for the time being. But we have seen examples of previous managers leaving this post at the drop of the hat for a better sporting project, with predecessor Herve Renard being a case in point. If the manager is not motivated, how on earth are the players supposed to react?
Jurgen Klinsmann: Another foreign appointment that has made fans unhappy. Klinsmann has insisted on living in the United States and has appeared in numerous TV shows and UEFA events during his tenure. After a 3-3 draw with Malaysia, Klinsmann avoided elaborating on his tactical failures and instead praised both teams for participating in an entertaining match. This retreat from accountability could only have been forgiven by winning the competition but his team wilted against a Jordanian team who had all the momentum. Soccerphile believes Klinsmann has underdelivered. On 16th of February, 2024, Klinsmann was relieved of his duties.
Hajime Moriyasu: Japan saw the limits of the "bottom-up" approach which garnered much media attention within the country. It is not outlandish to point the finger solely at Moriyasu for not substituting Itakura, or if impossible, introducing a back-three system to help out the defender who was struggling. Similar to the defeat by the Iraqis, Japan succumbed to a team utilizing a route-one tactic. By the time of the Iran game, one would expect Moriyasu to come up with a game plan to thwart them. Looking ahead, the Japanese FA are satisfied with his performances so fans can only expect more of the same in the coming tournaments.
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