The 2022 Qatar World Cup will start on November 21, and the national teams that have obtained tickets to the World Cup finals are currently in the final preparations, and Japan, as the representative of Asian football, is considered to be the first team to announce the 26-man squad, as detailed below.
Goalkeeper positions: Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg, Ligue 1), Shuichi Gonda (J-League Shimizu agitation), Daniel Schmidt (St. Turden).
Defensive line: Shogo Taniguchi (J-League Kawasaki Frontale), Itakura Takashi (Bundesliga Monko), Yuta Nakayama (Champions League Huddersfield), Kenhiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal Premier League), Yoki Ito (Stuttgart, Bundesliga), Yuto Nagatomo (J-League Tokyo FC), Maya Yoshida (Bundesliga Schalke 04), Hiroki Sakai (J-League Urawa Red Diamonds)
Midfielders: Hiroshi Endo (Stuttgart, Bundesliga), Hidemasa Morita (Portuguese Premier League), Bi Tanaka (Bundesliga Dusseldorf), Daichi Kamatada (Bundesliga Frankfurt), Takeshi Shibasaki (Leganes La Liga)
Forwards: Dairan Maeda (Celtic in the Premier League), Takuma Asano (Bochum), Keiyo Ueda (Sergra Bruge), Hisashi Kuyusu (Real Sociedad La Liga), Junya Ito (Reims), Don Yasushi (Freiburg in the Bundesliga), Kaoru Mikasa (Brighton on the Premier League), Takumi Minamino (Monaco in Ligue 1), Yuki Soma (J-League Nagoya Whale VIII)
As an Asian football powerhouse, Japan has 20 of the 26 players in this squad, of which only 6 participated in the last World Cup, which shows the ability to replace football talents.
Achieving an international World Cup in Japan is no easy feat, and the World Cup is a dream stage for countless players. In this article, the author will sort out a little and list the top five Japanese players who did not participate in the Qatar World Cup for your reference.
5. Yuta Nakayama
The 25-year-old Nakayama, a defender who can make a cameo at back, currently plays for Championship side Huddersfield and has played 14 games this season, scoring two goals. Since 2019, he has played 19 games for the national team, and can be said to be a good backcourt player who has entered the rotation of the Japanese national team.
Among the 26 people in the announced squad, Yuta Nakayama took a place. The sad thing is that not long after, Yuta Nakayama reported that he had a serious Achilles tendon injury and had to miss the World Cup finals, and fell on the last step of the World Cup gate.
Fourth, the standard-bearer has mercy
Standard-bearer Rayang, 24, a jack-of-all-trades player who can play in multiple positions in midfield or as full-back, currently plays for Celtic in the Premier League, playing in 11 games this season, contributing one goal and two assists.
In Japan's 1-1 home draw with Vietnam in the Asian Round of 12 not long ago, flag bearer Beiyang ushered in his debut for the Japanese national team, the new human of the Blue Samurai. Among the Japanese players who were not selected in the squad, the flag bearer Yuo is quite a surprise and regret.
All because, he is still young, and his rise in recent years is very strong, plus he has strong tactical adaptability and can play in multiple positions. It's a pity to lose, but given his age, there is still the possibility of sprinting to the World Cup finals in the future.
Third, the original mouth vitality
Genki Haraguchi, 31, is a midfielder who currently plays for the Bundesliga Union Berlin. Looking back on Genki Haraguchi's career, he debuted from the traditional Japanese football powerhouse Urawa Red Diamonds, and has since played in Hertha Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hannover 96, Union Berlin and other clubs.
During his career, Genki Haraguchi has played 74 games for Japan, scoring 11 goals, and is a familiar midfield international for Japan in the past few years. In the 2018 World Cup 1/8 final against Belgium, the far corner of Genki Haraguchi's shot from the right side of the penalty area was the best shot of his career. With the rise of the younger generation of Blue Samurai midfielders, Genki Haraguchi lost his place in the national team even though he still played in Europe.
Second, Ōjō Yuya
The 32-year-old Yuya Oku is believed to be one of the famous Japanese football players who have many deep fans. Looking back on Yuya Okusa's career, he worked as a striker and became famous in Japan since the National High School League in 2008, and later entered Kashima Antlers Club as the undisputed No. 1 High School Student of the Year.
In 2014, Isamu also left Japan and began his journey to Europe, leaving outstanding performances in Munich 1860, Cologne and Werder Bremen. At his peak, he was enough to serve as the absolute ace of the team in the middle of the five major leagues, and in the heyday of the 2016-2017 season, Daijing also handed over the dream data of 9 goals and 10 assists in a single season, helping Cologne to finish fifth in the season.
At the 2018 World Cup, as a Japan international, Yuya Okushi ushered in the most fantastic stage of his career and contributed a header performance against Colombia that was famous in Japanese football history. Throughout his career, he scored 25 goals in 57 games for the national team and was remarkably efficient.
Currently, Ōku also plays for Vissel Kobe in the J-League, playing in 26 games this season, contributing 7 goals and 2 assists, and 3 goals in 6 AFC Champions League games. In the 2019-2022 World Cup preparation period, Yuya Ōku played well, playing 11 games for Japan and scoring as many as 10 goals. Unfortunately, considering his age and forward talent reserve, in the final 26-man squad, Daqi Yong also lost. After knowing that he had lost the draft, he told the media that even if a player was temporarily injured Moriho repeatedly called him into the team, he would not go to the national team to play in the World Cup, and he did not want to see anyone else injured unless Moriho took a class.
First, Furuhashi Hengwu
The 27-year-old Hiroshi Furuhashi is a striker who has played for FC Gifu and Kobe Vissel in his career, and currently plays for Soviet Premier League giants Celtic. Entering the season, as a small striker, Hiroshi Furuhashi, who has excellent speed and good dribbling skills, has reached the peak of his career.
So far, he has scored nine goals and one assist in 11 games for Celtic this season. In the preparation period for the 2022 World Qualifiers, Furuhashi scored three goals in nine games and was one of the strikers who visited and gave opportunities to Morihoichi. It's a pity that Japan's strikers are full of talents, even if they have improved to the Su Super League, Furuhashi Hengo still hasn't been able to win a place in the World Cup squad, considering that he will be over 30 years old in the next edition and the Japanese team's talent system is mature, maybe Furuhashi Hengo will not be able to participate in the World Cup in this life.