Why did Japan's soccer football work?

Instead of using the U23 age group in Uzbekistan, Japan has only sent U21 players to compete in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics. But coach Go Oiwa's team is not inferior when facing their predecessors. They even reached the semi-finals with an unbeaten record. Group 2-1 win over UAE, 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia and 3-0 win over Tajikistan. Japan's 3-0 win in the quarter-finals was even more impressive, turning South Korea into its former king.

This is nothing new because Japan always sends young teams to U23 games to help players gain more experience and practice. At ASIAD 2018, Japan also used the U21 age group to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. In this competition, the Rising Sun team reached the semi-finals and lost to Spain 0-1.

Many of the Japanese players competing in the 2022 AFC U23 Championship have at least one season of J League 1 experience. Suzuki Yuto, who scored twice and assisted another goal in the victory over South Korea, is currently wearing Shimizu S-Pulse jersey. He has scored five goals in 79 games for the club since 2020.

Saito Koki, a striker born in 2001, scored nine goals in 63 first-team appearances for Yokohama Football Club between 2018-2020. He currently plays for the club in Lomer, the Belgian First Division. 21-year-old midfielder Dahui Matsuoka played 76 games for Birdhabitat Sagan in 2019-2021 and currently plays for Shimizu S-Pulse. He also played 15 games in his new jersey.

Joel Chima Fujita was born in 2002 to a Nigerian father and a Japanese mother. The midfielder, who played for Tokushima Voltis, is currently on the Yokohama Mariners' payroll. There are many other fine Japanese players who are unable to play due to injury, including Ryotaro Araki-a midfielder born in 2002 who plays for the club of the J League 1 Kashima Antlers.

The strength of the Japanese national team is also very young, with many players under the age of 25, such as Maeda Daqian (24 years old), Yu Taileo (24 years old), Tanaka Ao (23 years old), Tomoji Kaoru (25 years old), Ueda Ayase (23 years old), Ikakura (25) or Miyoshi Koji (25). This group of athletes won the runner-up at the Asian Games in 2018 and the fourth place at the Tyoko Olympic Games in 2020. However, they were knocked out in the group stage of the 2020 AFC U23 Championship when they fell into the death group alongside Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Syria.

"This approach in Japan takes a long time, but it creates stable and sustainable football," Thai newspaper Siam Sports commented.