Japan have secured a place in the quarter-finals and will face the winner of the Iran-Syria match. Against Bahrain, the four-time Asian champions looked set for an easy win after taking a two-goal lead after 60 minutes thanks to goals from Ritsu Doan and Takefusa Kubo.
Goalkeeper Suzuki's position leaves many concerns as Japan's defense conceded 6 goals in 4 matches.
However, an own goal by goalkeeper Zion Suzuki in the 62nd minute helped Bahrain regain control of the game until Ayase Ueda restored the two-goal advantage for the Japanese team nearly 10 minutes later.
Although Japan continued to maintain their status as the championship candidate, they had another difficult match. After the victory over Bahrain, coach Hajime Moriyasu praised his players: "I think our players played with determination and patience to break down the opponent's solid defense. I praise the players for scoring 3 goals."
Meanwhile, the Japanese press is once again worried about goalkeeper Suzuki's position as this player continues to fail to create peace of mind in the defense. Japan has conceded 6 goals after 4 matches at the 2023 Asian Cup.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu hopes Japan's defense improves with each match.
Regarding the defensive concerns, coach Hajime Moriyasu explained: "Overall, our defensive ability has improved. We conceded a goal from a set piece. The players need to have better coordination and play more aggressively in situations where the opponent puts pressure on them."
Meanwhile, Bahrain coach Pizzi praised his players' performance when the team had to stop in the round of 16 against the top candidate for the championship. "Japan's individual skills and the players who came on as substitutes were of the same high quality. Although we lost, the team was able to develop after this tournament."
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