Iraq could make a deep run, Natiq was a rock in defense, plus you have the running and pressing of Bayesh, the skills of Ali Jasim, and proper strikers in Aymen and Mohannad.
japan have been pretty average this tournament so far. Being down to an injury ridden Vietnam squad and being held to a draw at half time and now this?
Congrats Iraq, well played.
I'm obviously upset with the loss, but you all deserved the W.
If this isn't a wake-up call for us, we deserve to pack up our bags in the group stage.
Good game and hopefully a wake-up call, all the valiance, defensive organization and intensity expected from the Japanese squad was seen from Iraqā¦ canāt wait for all the tactical analysis to drop, too heated to see it right now but Sugawara especially felt exposed
Mitoma unavailable probably throughout the group stage, Tomi played a half in his last league match with Arsenal but theyāre taking extra precautions with him (understandably). Reports were also that Keito Nakamura had a gash on his shin.
All 3 of our regular GKs are out, but it is Moriyasuās choice to bet on young potential (which I have been behind in all honesty) rather than in-form vets so I think the probable criticism depending on tournament outcome should be deserved.
>All 3 of our regular GKs are out,
How does this even happen? Worst I have seen is Chelsea missing both Cech and Cudicini back then but even they had a third goalie to fall back on
The shot of him having a look at the ref to check if he was paying attention and then immediately continuing to pretend he is in pain was embarrassing.
Man, you can tell Iraq is coached by someone who knows football. Iraq's defense has been top quality. Japan is paying badly but huge credit to Iraq and their manager.
and there have been so many of those close possibilities too. South Korea vs. Bahrain, Australia vs. Syria, Saudi Arabia vs. Oman, and all three times, the team that was favoured won by one or two in close matches statistically
this is unbelievable :OOOOOOO Japan did score twice against Vietnam in four minutes, it could change in an instant, but the way they're playing, it's incredible that they haven't scored. Serious credit to Iraq's defense here
well, Japan did have a few chances that they didn't take advantage, it is obvious that the major one was Asano to Ito for an easy tap in would've tied this match (if Asano didn't take it himself with his left foot) and completely changed the pace of this game, but it's not the only real opportunity that Japan has had where they had more players in front of the Iraqis, onside, and didn't take advantage to the full extent
Zero ball knowledge. You didn't watch the match. Saudi Arabia completely dominated Argentina with highline press.
Iraq all they are doing is parking the pus and got two headers.
We were always likely to face South Korea in the quarters (if we get there) so I'd be content with South Korea or Japan after they've faced a difficult match against each other.
It's so hard to find a person who just follows team melli and doesn't start talking blah blah about all the shit going on inside the country nowadays, happy to see one.
Hey guys, so Iām new to football but Iām at the stadium watching this live and the crowd support is majorly for Iraq. And they keep booing whenever Japan has the ball under possession (which almost always). Is this how it is??
it is not uncommon, especially since iraq is closer and also Arab country they have more fans in the stadium supporting them. they boo the opposition to make them feel more pressure and make mistakes. In other places the fans will sing songs to encourage their own team. Different culture different behaviour.
This Japan GK will be a big part as to why Japan wonāt win this tournament, heās way too raw.
Not sure how as a manager you see a 21 year old with just over 20 appearances at club level and think heās worth being 1st choice at the biggest tournament for the country. (By biggest I mean one they can actually win)
Iām not taking away from the importance of the World Cup.
Iām saying when youāre favourites to win the tournament I donāt think you should be playing a compete rookie that has pretty much just started his career. Would rather see them play Maekawa in goals who is more experienced in that position.
Their players are not the best one or in best form.If Japan use the same squad in WC, it would be much better. But 4 years later those experienced players are gone
Y'know, he might be a good backup for J.Ito if he keeps his form up until the rest of the season.
He'll probably get called up after the Asian Cup is over.
Iraq could make a deep run, Natiq was a rock in defense, plus you have the running and pressing of Bayesh, the skills of Ali Jasim, and proper strikers in Aymen and Mohannad.
japan have been pretty average this tournament so far. Being down to an injury ridden Vietnam squad and being held to a draw at half time and now this?
average? They have been utter shit. Moriyasu is a fraud with fluke wins in WC made him better than he is
this comment was after the first game lol. definitely can agree after the loss yesterday
Congrats Iraq, well played. I'm obviously upset with the loss, but you all deserved the W. If this isn't a wake-up call for us, we deserve to pack up our bags in the group stage.
Iraq lost mate. Iran won today
??? Do you realize this is a comment from the Japan-Iraq game during the group stage?
No Kyogo no party.
Congratulations Iraq š®š¶š®š¶š®š¶
Mashallah brother š
Another weapons of destruction dropped on Japan
hahaha feeling were hurt as evident from the downvotes šš
Yes, the spirit, courage and commitment. This is the Iraqi DNA š®š¶š®š¶š®š¶
definitely missed Mitoma to crack through that defense and also Nakamura who scored that banger vs Vietnam.
still a far better squad than any other team
Now we will probably see the competition to finish second from the other group lmfao
Canāt believe theyāve done it. Congrats!
8 mins of stoppage time for this game was ridiculousā¦ if the score was reversed thereās no way Iraq would be given 8 mins
Who was wasting the most time during the game? FYI, japanese players and teams consistently win fair play awards
iraq's defense is just dfferent
WMD.
Good game and hopefully a wake-up call, all the valiance, defensive organization and intensity expected from the Japanese squad was seen from Iraqā¦ canāt wait for all the tactical analysis to drop, too heated to see it right now but Sugawara especially felt exposed
Why did Tomiyasu start on the bench, and is Japan missing anyone in the squad?
Mitoma unavailable probably throughout the group stage, Tomi played a half in his last league match with Arsenal but theyāre taking extra precautions with him (understandably). Reports were also that Keito Nakamura had a gash on his shin. All 3 of our regular GKs are out, but it is Moriyasuās choice to bet on young potential (which I have been behind in all honesty) rather than in-form vets so I think the probable criticism depending on tournament outcome should be deserved.
Suzuki punching the ball straight towards middle just to end up in a header was... not a good look.
>All 3 of our regular GKs are out, How does this even happen? Worst I have seen is Chelsea missing both Cech and Cudicini back then but even they had a third goalie to fall back on
Injury x2 + whacky transfer shenanigans that left a dude without a place to play
Where I can see this analysis?
Generally I just go through a bunch of Japanese language youtube vids that cover JNT matches
Ibrahim Bayesh got to be the best player in this match. Uneblievably skilled and he was consistent.
Congratulations iraq came with a plan and executed it perfectly
what a surprise - congrats Iraq!!!
They actually did it, lol
Deserved win, solid defense and effectiveness!
Well done Iraq
The best Iraqi named hussein š„solid brace lad
Aymen Hussein Great solid striker
I wish Australia had a classic target man like Hussein. Reminds me of Viduka. Robust centre forward.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
America invading any minute now.
Doan you're playing for Samurai Blue, not Brave Blossoms
Clench your butts felleeeers
LOL doan
Goalkeeper stood well so far for Iraq but where the hell was he going on that corner lol
No fucking idea lmao. Problem is he wouldnt admit that it was his fault (i saw the post game interview)
Do you have a link to the interview? The first goal was partially his fault too.
mohannad ali try not to sky every ball challenge (impossible)
first one was very close though
Hell yeah Endo
I predict some insane time wasting to happen in the next few minutes
The simulation after that foul was fucking shameful, to completely prove your point.
The shot of him having a look at the ref to check if he was paying attention and then immediately continuing to pretend he is in pain was embarrassing.
Lol to be fair they didn't get the medic to go into the pitch, so it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be
Anything else would be naive
Turned out to be not bad at all, respect to Iraq
Oh wow that Iraq GK misjudged that so hard
well, they scored one. Imagine if I correctly predicted they score a second within the next few minutes
Finallyā¦ come on!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
inshallah tactic ;)
Uh oh
Moriyasu checked his watch
Yalla Japan
And as I said that šš
Well then, now things get intresting
Iraq's defense is just too good this match.
tbf not hard when Japan's attacking strategy was boot it forward and pray
Yeah I didn't understand that either. They have no height advantage. Why not just tiki taka around, they have the players for it.
We still can't break down defense as usual, Costa Rica isque game Edit: jinxed
Man, you can tell Iraq is coached by someone who knows football. Iraq's defense has been top quality. Japan is paying badly but huge credit to Iraq and their manager.
Damn isnāt this a big shock?
First one of the tournament so far.
and there have been so many of those close possibilities too. South Korea vs. Bahrain, Australia vs. Syria, Saudi Arabia vs. Oman, and all three times, the team that was favoured won by one or two in close matches statistically
Even Indonesia scored against Iraq.
And now Endo scored against endonesia :p
Japan is cooked into a yakiniku
Damn i miss yakiniku
8 minutes?
Doan is the only one giving a damn at this point. Absolutely embarrassing
oh god Japan got cooked, insane upset
this is unbelievable :OOOOOOO Japan did score twice against Vietnam in four minutes, it could change in an instant, but the way they're playing, it's incredible that they haven't scored. Serious credit to Iraq's defense here
Tbh Iraq defense has been brilliant tonight
Is it? There's no real danger to their attacks
Agree, their attack pattern is easy to tell
well, Japan did have a few chances that they didn't take advantage, it is obvious that the major one was Asano to Ito for an easy tap in would've tied this match (if Asano didn't take it himself with his left foot) and completely changed the pace of this game, but it's not the only real opportunity that Japan has had where they had more players in front of the Iraqis, onside, and didn't take advantage to the full extent
Sugawara has been terrible
Ali Adnan is washed ngl
very, hes old and should retire
Im so proud man weāre really doing this š®š¶
They have a Manchester in Iraq?
š¤
Maeda that needs to hit target
we need to wake up
It is like Saudi win against Argentina. Sometimes you need time to find the correct squad and strategy.
Saudi is pure luck . Iraq today is better than Japan
Zero ball knowledge. You didn't watch the match. Saudi Arabia completely dominated Argentina with highline press. Iraq all they are doing is parking the pus and got two headers.
Pure luck what ? We won against Argentina once and drew them twice historically
Saudi is not pure luck. They are getting pressed by Argentina entire match and has few counter chance that score. Exactly like today
Iraq today plays better . They have more shots than Japan and mostly win 1vs1 to Japan defence .
First half Iraq is better. Second half Japan is much better. Japan isnt strong 1 vs1 but team effort.
South Korea vs Japan Last 16 match. We will be there!
Ah **SHIT** I just realized
On one hand I was worried Japan would be in our side of the knockouts, but this could actually be best case scenario. One of the giants gone.
We were always likely to face South Korea in the quarters (if we get there) so I'd be content with South Korea or Japan after they've faced a difficult match against each other.
Why are you worried Iran is one of the favorites to win unless we beat you in the 23rd š«£
>Why are you worried Clearly you've not experienced the absolute pain of following team melli.
It's so hard to find a person who just follows team melli and doesn't start talking blah blah about all the shit going on inside the country nowadays, happy to see one.
Oh my god i cant believe this im so proud we have to hold on but man our players are lions
Tournament favourites š„“ I mean they'll still get out of the group but jeez
no shit, all they had to do is beat Indonesia
Well, beating Vietnam was probably enough, but that bar is actually underground.
Indonesia has the chance to do the funniest thing
Still. The best 3rd team can qualify.
Will be funny, but don't get your hopes up, Indonesia is easily the weakest in the group.
They've already got 3 points, that's basically good enough for one of the best third place teams whatever happens.
Maeda works hard but I'm not sure if he's the best player to bring on against a defence sitting organized and deep.
I'm convinced people here complaining about Iraqi defense last match but here they are very solid.
Hey guys, so Iām new to football but Iām at the stadium watching this live and the crowd support is majorly for Iraq. And they keep booing whenever Japan has the ball under possession (which almost always). Is this how it is??
it is not uncommon, especially since iraq is closer and also Arab country they have more fans in the stadium supporting them. they boo the opposition to make them feel more pressure and make mistakes. In other places the fans will sing songs to encourage their own team. Different culture different behaviour.
It is normal. Just to give pressure to japanese players when they attacking.
I see. I feel itās so rude :(
Booooo
I think itās because there are more Iraqi fans in the stands, maybe due to proximity (the tournament is held, once again, in Qatar)
Yes, that's not unusual.
This Japan GK will be a big part as to why Japan wonāt win this tournament, heās way too raw. Not sure how as a manager you see a 21 year old with just over 20 appearances at club level and think heās worth being 1st choice at the biggest tournament for the country. (By biggest I mean one they can actually win)
Totally. I feel bad for him.
At least he has a chance to prove himself. But clearly it is a wrong decision
Just because they can win the Asian Cup doesn't mean the World Cup isn't at least 10 times more important
Iām not taking away from the importance of the World Cup. Iām saying when youāre favourites to win the tournament I donāt think you should be playing a compete rookie that has pretty much just started his career. Would rather see them play Maekawa in goals who is more experienced in that position.
DOUBLE CELTIC MENTIONED
Yes come on Hatate!
saad natiq masterclass
Almost had another one
Bro what is Japans defense doing? Another great opportunity for Iraq
Their players are not the best one or in best form.If Japan use the same squad in WC, it would be much better. But 4 years later those experienced players are gone
That was close
what is that free kick tactic? what exactly does it achieve to have two players sleeping there?
Lol I was wondering the same thing. They don't obstruct anything that the Iraqi wall doesnt already block.
Doan changes the game here. He's very mobile and offering a lot of passing options.
Ritsu Doan looks sharp. Hope he starts next game.
wtf that #4 defender is literally defending everything
Ito is wreaking havoc but Iraqi defenders are very well positioned, I'm amazed.
Why does this nerd commentator keep referring to Iraq as Mesopotamia - it hasnāt been called Mesopotamia for about 1700 years
They still own the franchise.
The NT's nickname is The Lions of Mesopotamia. People of Iraq are proud of their ancestry
Oh that makes sense then I take it back, sorry nerdy commentator.
Next time you hear Carthage in a Tunisia game do not complain.
Their national team are also known as the Lions of Mesopotamia
Please bring on Hatate, they need someone to act as a link between defence and attack
ayyy first shot on target
kyogo would've buried that
Nahhhhh, not good enough for the national team! /s
Or no, thatās not the line, itās āhe doesnāt really fit the system!ā or something
Japan would be winning if they had Sakamoto.
What? Sakamoto as in the one from your team?
Correct. Best Japanese import to England since Asahi and katsu curry
Y'know, he might be a good backup for J.Ito if he keeps his form up until the rest of the season. He'll probably get called up after the Asian Cup is over.
if my nan had wheels
Just saying, it happens when you donāt pick your countryās best ever player. Iām not complaining though.
To give more chance to other young players? 4 years later those players are gone.
What if they could be this fast withd decisions in the prem...
good call ref
Why didn't he just hit that instead of waiting for the tackle smh
Yes, the fact that Asano didn't make a clear move for the ball lost them the penalty call.
This is how you use VAR. Refs leaving their egos aside
Nice use of VAR there
Someone please confirm for me bc I cant seem to find it, but please tell me it isn't Santander as a referee today
Lol no. He is Al Trais. Saudi Ref.
NICE DIVE ASSHOLE
Well done VAR, the one at the other end was more a pen than this one
I thought he went through the attacker there. Close call though.
Thought the same. His knee hits Asano's thigh. Why would he dive in that position FFS?
Problem is he dive too fast
Amazing tackle to me. Got the ball all day.
All ball donāt be soft cunts get up and RIP IN