Opening their World Cup campaign with a convincing 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, Japan's national team is now looking ahead to their second match against Tunisia, but they have not forgotten the bitter lesson from the 2022 World Cup.
Back in 2022, after a historic victory over Germany, Japan disappointed by losing 0-1 to Costa Rica — a defeat that nearly saw them eliminated in the group stage. As a result, the players and coaching staff of the land of the rising sun have repeatedly reminded each other of that lesson in order to avoid making the same mistake.
“We told each other that we cannot let what happened in Qatar happen again. The match against Costa Rica was a major lesson in mentality and tactics,” a source from the Japanese team said.
Beyond the experience factor, another change has come from the opponent: Tunisia replaced their head coach just weeks before the tournament. This change could lead to tactical surprises, requiring Japan to exercise special caution.
The match between Japan and Tunisia is expected to be fierce, as both sides are eager to secure three points to keep their hopes of advancing alive.
