Coach Hajime Moriyasu announced the list of 26 Japanese players for the 2023 Asian Cup, with many stars playing in Europe. However, this coach made a surprising decision when he left out midfielders Ao Tanaka and Daichi Kamada - 2 players playing in Bundesliga (Germany) and Serie A (Italy). In addition, Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) was not on the list, which also raised questions in Japanese public opinion.
When asked by reporters about the reason, Coach Moriyasu said: " I don't talk about the players who were not called up. I made the best choice within the allowed conditions. Each player has different circumstances so I can't go into details. In addition to the people asked, there are many other players whose names were not included ."
Ao Tanaka scores against Spain at the 2022 World Cup. (Photo: Getty Images)
Of the three players mentioned above, Ao Tanaka is the one that surprised the Japanese media the most. He just scored in a friendly match with Thailand on January 1.
The central midfielder of Fortuna Dusseldorf is an important factor, regularly playing in the official lineup of the "Samurai Blue". At the 2022 World Cup, Tanaka scored the decisive goal to help Japan win 2-1 against Spain, and also take the top spot in the group.
Former player Sergio Ichigo said: " I don't understand why coach Moriyasu didn't explain clearly. It's understandable if the player is not good enough, but Tanaka played in the starting lineup and scored in the 5-0 win over Thailand. He doesn't seem to be in poor form. Tanaka is a regular starter and plays very actively.
Meanwhile, Asano and the players playing in Germany were selected. If coach Moriyasu does not answer clearly, the fans cannot be satisfied. The Asian Cup is an important tournament .
Not only that, Mr. Moriyasu surprised everyone by including Kaoru Mitoma in the list of players attending the Asian Cup. This player was injured while competing in the Premier League. Coach Roberto de Zerbi was confused when he saw his student being called up.
" I was really surprised because the medical team said Mitoma needed four to six weeks of treatment," said the Brighton manager. "In my opinion, it's very difficult for him to play in the Asian Cup. However, I like him so it would be nice to see him play for the national team ."
Japan squad for Asian Cup 2023
Goalkeepers: Daiya Maekawa, Zion Suzuki and Taishi Brandon Nozawa
Defenders: Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Yuta Nakayama, Koki Machida, Seiya Maikuma, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito and Yukinari Sugawara
Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Junya Ito, Takuma Asano, Hidemasa Morita, Kaoru Mitoma, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Kaishi Sano
Forwards: Ritsu Doan, Ayase Ueda, Keito Nakamura, Takefusa Kubo, Takumi Minamino and Mao Hosoya
Van Hai
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