In the early morning of April 30 (Beijing time), Iraq U23 faced the challenge of Japan U23 in the semifinals of the 2024 U23 Asian Cup, and finally lost with a score of 0-2.
Japan U23 showed strong strength and successfully qualified for the final, and without sending the strongest team, Japan still qualified for the Olympic Games for the eighth time in a row.
In the previous quarter-finals, Iraq's U23s did not show an overwhelming advantage against Vietnam, winning only on penalties. In the semi-finals against the strong Japanese team, Iraq U23, as the representative of West Asia, obviously did not create too many surprises.
Iraq's U23s were passive throughout the game, conceding two goals in the first half. In the 28th minute, Shindai Hosoya scored from inside the box after a technical turn to break the deadlock for Japan U23s.
In the 42nd minute, there was a mistake in the Iraqi backline, and Japan U23 seized the opportunity to attack. Ryotaro Araki sent the ball into the Iraqi goal again after a series of wonderful combinations.
Entering the second half, Japan U23 still maintained the initiative on the field. If their strikers could have taken their chances better, Iraq could have ended the suspense sooner. The only bright spot for Iraq was in the 74th minute, when Azad's shot hit the crossbar.
This is the second time in the history of Japan U23 that they have reached the final of the U23 Asian Cup. Their opponents will be Uzbekistan U23. Both teams have already qualified for the Paris Olympics.
For Iraq's U23s, they also have an important task, which is to beat Indonesia's U23 team in the third-place match to compete for a ticket to the men's football team at the Paris Olympics. The teams that lose in the third and fourth place matches will play the Under-23 Guinea in an intercontinental play-off to determine the final men's 2024 Olympic ticket.
According to Japanese media reports, European football clubs are very interested in the players of the Japanese U-23 national team and sent scouts to Qatar to observe the game.
At the U-23 Asian Cup in Qatar, scouts were sent from a number of European clubs, including Leicester City, who had just been promoted to the Premier League, Borussia Dortmund, Bremen and Bochum, to observe the players of the U23 Japanese national team. According to the news on the 29th, the main targets are midfielder Kuyu Matsuki (21 years old), striker Ryotaro Araki (22 years old, both Tokyo FC), striker Shindai Hosoya (22 years old, Kashiwa Suns), defender Ryo Handa (22 years old, Gamba Osaka) and other players who have performed well in the J-League, and they are considered candidates for the future national team.
In the Paris generation, there are more players playing overseas than in the past Olympic generation. Led by Japanese national team striker Kenei Kubo (22 years old, Real Sociedad), midfielder Shiru Fujita (22 years old, Cintroydon) and goalkeeper Reio Kokubo (23 years old, Benfica) are already in the country. Many European clubs have been keeping an eye on young players in the J-League, with one scouting chief saying: "We are looking at the players who have performed well in the J-League to see if they can make the same impact on the international stage. ”
However, there are also obstacles. The Olympic football competition will kick off on July 24. In the event of participation in the Paris Olympics, there will be activities as an Olympic team such as a training camp for the preliminaries, and the integration of the transfer to a new club may be delayed. There is a high probability that you will not be able to participate in the training camps or pre-seasons prepared for the new season in June and July, "which is obviously a disadvantage if you consider a transfer", explained one of the player's agents. However, if the performance in international competitions is highly evaluated, it is not surprising that before the Paris Olympics, new players who have decided to challenge Europe will appear.
◆ Memo of 4 clubs to follow with keen eye Leicester City had former Japanese national team player Shinji Okazaki, who played from the summer of 2015 to the middle of 2019. In their first year with the club, they achieved a miraculous victory.
At Borussia Dortmund, there are Itakura of the Japanese national team and Shio Fukuda, who joined after graduating from high school.
Bochum used to have Shin Ono playing for second class players, and now Takuma Asano belongs to that team. Bremen has played for players such as Yasuhiko Okutera and Yuya Osako, and now midfielder Yoon Sato of the U-23 Japanese national team is in the team.