چاپ خبر

Japan are the exception to the rule at the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024, as the only one of the 16 teams to have no players over the age of 23 in their squad. Coach Go Oiwa opted not to use any of the three available places to add experience to his side, while the other 15 coaches have used them to strengthen their respective squads. In total, there are 40 senior players across the various national teams, but Japan, who comfortably dispatched Paraguay 5-0 in their opening game, are putting all their faith in their youth players.

Joel Chima Fujita was named player of the tournament at the AFC U-23 Asian Cup and is Japan’s captain. During Wednesday evening’s match in Bordeaux, Fujita was the beating heart in the middle of the park for a Japan side that made the most of every opportunity that Paraguay gave them: “It’s very important for us to win so convincingly,” he said. “The first game is the most important in the competition. We scored five goals and we performed well. I’m very happy with the way we played.”

Fujita is the standout player for the Young Samurai Blue. “I’m not focusing on the fact that we don’t have any players over the age of 23 in our squad,” he added. “We’ve all been playing together since we were 17 or 18. We’ve had a great relationship and understanding since then. That doesn’t mean we don’t need the senior players, but we can perform well without them.”

Japan are so-far thriving in the absence of players over the age of 23, with a group of youngsters who are making their mark in European football. Fujita quickly made a name for himself after excelling at Tokyo Verdy in the J2 League, and with both Tokushima Vortis and Yokohama Marinos in the Japanese top flight. He has been a regular for the Belgian Pro League side Sint-Truiden since July 2023.

Shunsuke Mito, who scored the first two goals, moved to the Netherlands in December 2023 to join Sparta Rotterdam. Mito, who did not play in the U-23 Asian Cup, scored a brace in the opening game of this tournament. Japan’s No10 Koki Saito, who led the attack and provided the assist for their second goal, also plays for Sparta Rotterdam. Rihito Yamamoto, who scored the third goal of the game, plays for Sint-Truiden alongside Fujita.

“I think it’s important for us to be playing in Europe. It gives us the opportunity to play against players who are bigger than us. Now that I am playing in Europe, I am able to go toe to toe with bigger and more experienced players,” said Fujita, after beating a Paraguay side who were reduced to 10 players with only 24 minutes on the clock and who lacked energy in the second half.

It was a good challenge for Japan, who were up against an experienced Paraguay side with the likes of goalkeeper Gatito Fernandez and defender Fabian Balbuena, who are 36 and 32 years old, respectively. With one eye already on the next round, the next few games will be a test for a country that has been one of the best sides at recent tournaments. For Fujita, the team’s youth, excellent chemistry and experience of playing in Europe is reason enough to dream of coming away with a medal. “Our biggest strength is that we play very aggressively. We can press our opponents for the whole 90 minutes. That is our biggest asset.”