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The story
Sponichi reports that Moriyasu’s Japan plans to start with a 4-back formation in today’s international friendly against Uruguay. Throughout the actual World Cup, the team stuck with a 3-back (switching to a 5-back depending on the situation) to the very end, shelving the 4-back idea. On 5ch, reactions were split: some voiced anxiety over the squad’s shortage of natural right-backs and a deep-seated distrust of Moriyasu’s tactical decisions, while others took it more positively, framing it as an experiment aimed at the next World Cup four years from now.
Sponichi
[ September 24, 2026, 04:30 ]
Men’s Soccer International Friendly: Japan vs. Uruguay (September 24, 2026, Q Stadium)
Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
If they want continuity, they need to start now
though Japan doesn't have good fullbacks
We've already seen plenty of proof you have no sense for running a 4-back, Moriyasu
so whatever they do now means nothing lol pointless pointless
There aren't any, are there?
Japan really has zero identity of its own, huh
Tomiyasu declined, Ando's resting at the hotel with a bad back, and Itakura's a mess
It's cutting it close to field 4 matches
a manager who mainly runs a 4-back demand completely different things from their fullbacks
Stop wasting everyone's time with this
Who do you think you are, Miura Toshiya? (a former Japan manager infamous for quirky tactics like an all-center-back back four)
maybe they'll try it on the November trip to Singapore?
Mitoma's injured and Ito's getting up there in age with limited minutes now
Nakamura and Doan are more the type you want pinned up high, and they were being forced to shuttle up and down instead
There aren't many center-backs either
Moriyasu doesn't even know about guys like Iwata
There's Nakano though
This guy's amazing
Would the 4-back believers be satisfied watching Sugawara, Sekine, and Hashioka get torn to shreds on the flanks?
Those guys get beaten even in a 5-back lol
In the end a fullback's quality comes down to the coaching
Give eight years to a Moriyasu who can't even run a 4-back and Japan ends up with no internationally viable fullbacks
This isn't a video game — you don't suddenly 'level up' just from gathering with the national team a few times a year
People only tune in once every four years as it is
There's a weirdo here who only watches the final episode of a TV drama series
it'd probably be Ito on the left and Suzuki Junnosuke on the right,
though both look shaky as fullbacks…
Machida looks better suited to fullback than Ito
He's got pretty good pace
Wonder how the left-back spot shakes out going forward
Ito, Machida, Kosugi, Nakayama, something like that?
Between the blowout wins and way too many qualifying spots, even World Cup qualifiers are boring these days
Background and Key Points
Moriyasu’s Japan consistently used a 3-back (switching to a 5-back depending on the opponent) throughout the World Cup in North and Central America, and never switched to a 4-back during the tournament itself. Today’s match against Uruguay is the first strengthening match since the World Cup, and on the forum thread, many comments pointed out the thin depth at natural right-back. The 4-back has been the dominant formation among the top teams at recent World Cups, offering the advantage of more easily covering the space behind the fullbacks, but it’s also a system that demands both strong one-on-one defending and attacking contribution from both fullbacks. The split reactions stem from differing takes: some see this as a belated experiment given that it’s still unclear at this point whether Moriyasu will continue as manager, while others see it as preparation looking ahead to the next four-year cycle.
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Moriyasu Japan to retry the 4-back! Shelved during the World Cup, but ‘preparing to start with it this series’ — today vs. Uruguay.”
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