TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Japanese national team will rotate the squad in the last two matches of Group C in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. Coach Hajime Moriyasu will call up several new players for the squad.
The 56-year-old tactician wants to allow players who rarely get playing time with the Blue Samurai Team. "Considering the number of matches played at the club level, coupled with the factor of injuries, I will make some changes to our squad from last March," said Moriyasu, quoted from Sanspo.
Becoming the first team to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, Moriyasu will make tactical experiments in the last two matches. "I also want to challenge myself to try tactical variations. For Japan to compete in the upcoming World Cup, I believe it is good for us to expand our tactical scope to create a stronger team," he said.
However, Moriyasu will not choose players randomly. He still has criteria for those hoping to represent the national team. "I hope we can get players with different performances, both in defense and attack. In addition, they must have great enthusiasm to achieve victory for the team," he said.
The potential squad rotation in the Japanese team opens up opportunities for the Indonesian national team to steal points. However, it will not be easy. Even with the backup team, the quality of Japanese players will not be far behind. The Garuda squad must continue to exert all their abilities in the remaining two matches in the third round of the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers in the Asian zone.
The Indonesian national team is currently in a difficult position. Coach Patrick Kluivert's squad must win in the last two matches to keep the hope of directly qualifying for the 2026 World Cup final as the runner-up.
The opportunity for the first match is quite substantial because the Garuda squad will host China at the Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium (SUGBK), Jakarta, on June 5. With the support of 60 thousand supporters, Patrick Kluivert's team should be able to earn full points.
However, a tough test awaits when they visit the Suita City Football Stadium, five days later. Japan and its supporters are ready to apply immense pressure. On paper, even securing one point will be difficult. Japan is the leader of Group C, undefeated in the eight matches played so far. Not to mention fan support, which will multiply the spirit of Hajime Moriyasu's team.
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