I couldn't avoid the spicy taste 1 win, 3 draws → Controversy over performance in the World Cup, struggling to be consistent with AFC...Australia's Strong Opponent
Feb 26, 2025
|
|
Japan's under-20 national team, led by coach Yuzo Funakoshi, will play Australia in the semifinals of the 2025 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-20 Asian Cup at the Baoan Sports Center Stadium in Shenzhen, China on the 26th.
Japan was considered a strong contender for the championship. I opened the lid. In the first Group D match, they defeated Thailand 3-0 and created a great atmosphere. That was it. They drew 2-2 against Syria in the second leg. In the final match against South Korea, they drew 1 to 1. qualified for the tournament in second place in the group.
Iran was the opponent of the quarterfinals. The two teams were 1-1 in the first 90 minutes of the second half. The balance continued even in overtime. The game led to a penalty shootout. Japan won 4-3 after the penalty shootout. As a result, Japan has secured its advance to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2025, which will be given to the top four teams in this tournament. This year's U-20 World Cup will be held in Chile from September to October. However, it did not stop AFC from 'factual'.
Soccer Digest, a Japanese soccer media outlet, said 'Japan will face Australia in the semifinals. AFC pointed out the points of interest in the semifinals on its official website. Video reading (VAR) is introduced from the semi-finals. Other than that, it referred to four countries. The AFC pointed out Japan's challenges. It's a bit spicy,' he reported.
AFC said of Japan 'Japan must struggle for consistency. He reached the semi-finals, but only won and drew two in the group stage. In the quarterfinals, he even went to a penalty shootout. If they don't find their skills, Australia will be a very strong opponent for Japan.
Funakoshi said "I was with the players aiming to become the Asian champion. I really want to enjoy this journey. I analyzed Australia. At first, I thought it was dependent on physicality and technology. In practice, it has a very technical approach. You have to be very careful because you use a variety of systems."
Japan is trying to win the tournament for the second time since 2016.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
