Japan Reacts

Category: Sports

  • Zion Suzuki’s Aston Villa Transfer Officially Confirmed: Fee Up to ¥6.5 Billion, Champions League Football This Season

    Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki’s transfer to Aston Villa has been officially announced, with the fee reported to reach as much as approximately ¥6.5 billion. On the forum, discussion centered on how the pecking-order battle with starting keeper Emiliano Martínez will play out, along with excitement about teaming up with fellow Japan international Ao Tanaka.

    Aston Villa of the English Premier League announced on their official club website on the 19th that they have signed Japan national team goalkeeper Zion Suzuki (23) from Parma (Italy). According to Sky Italia and other outlets, the transfer fee could reach as much as €35 million (approximately ¥6.48 billion).

    Suzuki, who impressed at the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North/Central America, had been widely expected to move to back-to-back Champions League champions Paris Saint-Germain (France), but no deal was reached. It was reported on the 15th that the PSG move had fallen through, and on the 16th the BBC’s website and other outlets reported that a transfer to Aston Villa — a club long mentioned as a candidate — was drawing closer. Japan’s last line of defense spent two seasons at Parma, making 59 appearances in official matches.

    Birmingham-based Aston Villa won last season’s Europa League and finished fourth in the Premier League, behind only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United. Managed by Spain’s Unai Emery, the club returns to the Champions League this season for the first time in two seasons.

    Source: nikkansports.com / Original article here

    7Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:04:36.77ID:RCItjwH40
    The first Japanese player to become a starting GK in the Premier League
    and at a top club in Champions League contention, no less
    this is huge
    177Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:48:32.20ID:7FUsk8OE0
    >>7
    It'll be pure chaos if Ao Tanaka rips a long-range shot past Zion

    https://imgur.com/9qPfycr.gif
    181Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:49:31.73ID:CGe56q1A0
    >>177
    Totally possible — Tanaka was excellent against Villa with a 100% stat line, and he's already scored against big clubs like Chelsea and Liverpool
    227Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 21:02:26.13ID:X8O2ZGFL0
    >>177
    The knee-slide-fail enthusiasts rejoice (a running joke about a botched celebration slide)
    14Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:07:49.53ID:bUnVvOWr0
    I always thought goalkeeper was the position furthest from the world stage for Japan, but he really showed up…
    Hope Japan can put up a great World Cup result while Zion's still in his prime!
    24Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:11:07.09ID:DZAGDm7J0
    >>14
    Well, I mean…
    17Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:09:14.16ID:FcNFPimt0
    With Martínez there, he's stuck as the backup keeper no matter what…
    23Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:10:54.73ID:HS75667O0
    >>17
    Emi Mart's got the track record, sure
    He reportedly wants to leave though, so hopefully some club picks him up
    26Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:11:41.25ID:6T/vIeHy0
    >>17
    Martínez is having finger surgery, so he might be out for the rest of the year
    How much Zion can show in that window will be key
    28Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:11:56.81ID:aPk5QIhO0
    >>17
    That guy's an old man now, Zion's gonna overtake him
    27Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:11:52.15ID:n4iPfD4u0
    34Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:13:24.99ID:KPOiwlyd0
    Wasn't Kawaguchi a Premier League goalkeeper before?
    35Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:14:07.91ID:OlB78jf30
    >>34
    Portsmouth was in the English top flight, but that's not the Premier League
    38Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:14:29.45ID:YFcrmSJL0
    >>34
    It was the Championship
    He barely played at Portsmouth anyway
    70Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:21:03.24ID:/sGgDhnt0
    >>34
    Kawaguchi got panned at Portsmouth in England's second division, then mostly played for a small club in the Danish league after that
    72Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:21:33.18ID:OlB78jf30
    Emi Mart's got that classic Argentine mentality through and through
    77Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:23:06.34ID:vy6/zLY90
    >>72
    But he didn't become a regular starter until around age 28, so he had it rough — spent more time on the bench than not before that
    138Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:38:52.47ID:dhVbgurp0
    Whatever happened to the Juventus talk?
    Also, Japanese players get reported like they're tearing it up all over Europe, but when you actually look, they're always at clubs you've never even heard of
    142Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:39:42.08ID:C9jPHDev0
    >>138
    Between Juventus and Aston Villa as they stand right now, Villa's actually the better club
    146Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:40:30.17ID:RqIt6B7z0
    >>138
    Endo at Liverpool
    Itō at Bayern
    Though as for actually playing…
    152Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:41:27.92ID:PlLC+opj0
    >>138
    Juventus signed Italy national keeper Vicario on loan — "a long-held dream come true"
    159Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:43:04.37ID:1iSjtGxG0
    Is Emi Mart actually leaving?
    He's surely not good enough yet to take the starting spot from him
    165Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:44:45.30ID:emJvoYJj0
    >>159
    He's declining, so they want to offload him to a fallen-from-grace Juventus
    170Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:45:52.13ID:vy6/zLY90
    >>159
    A winter move looks tough now that it fell through — probably next season then
    171Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:45:59.17ID:frlBSfKx0
    >>159
    He's injured and out for about 3 months
    Plus his wages are high, so the club wants to sell him
    254Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 21:12:26.98ID:tTROcQ1c0
    A photo of the two of them together
    559Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 00:29:15.84ID:22CPJlHv0
    Never heard of that club. Is it really the Premier League? Not, like, Saudi Arabia or something?
    564Anonymous2026/08/20(木) 00:35:42.24ID:FdxpcPNE0
    >>559



    Look at the club crest in the background —
    it says 1874 on it
    the club's been around since then

    *This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread「[Soccer] Zion Suzuki’s Aston Villa Transfer Officially Confirmed — Fee Up to Approx. ¥6.5 Billion, Champions League Football This Season」.

  • Kokubo Reo Brian’s Possible Nigeria Call-Up Has 5ch Buzzing: ‘Just Say Kawaguchi and Narazaki’

    Foreign media are reporting that GK Kokubo Reo Brian (STVV), a product of Kashiwa Reysol’s youth academy, may choose to play for Nigeria instead of Japan. On 5ch, the news sparked comparisons with Suzuki Zion, who has become Japan’s undisputed starting goalkeeper, and the discussion expanded into a broader debate about the thin depth at the goalkeeper position and the generational transition at the national team.

    Football Tribe, 2026.08.18, 7:47 am

    GK Kokubo Reo Brian, a product of Kashiwa Reysol’s youth academy, has been rumored to be leaving Belgian first-division club Sint-Truiden VV (STVV). Now, the possibility that he may not choose Japan for his senior national team has emerged, sparking comparisons with Japan’s current first-choice keeper, GK Suzuki Zion (Parma).

    Foreign outlet Get Football ran a feature on Kokubo’s situation on the 17th, addressing the possibility of a transfer this summer: “Now 25, Kokubo put in a decent performance in his first year at STVV, but it was really last season that he broke out. Plenty of clubs should be keeping an eye on him — especially given that he has only one year left on his current contract.”

    Source: football-tribe.com / Original article here

    3Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 15:53:26.92ID:exRDBDAD0
    Kind of like Wakabayashi and Wakashimazu (the rival goalkeeper duo from the manga Captain Tsubasa).
    60Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:18:40.69ID:Z7ylpA7+0
    >>3
    If that's the case, could they pull a Wakashimazu-style conversion and turn him into a forward?
    He looks tall enough for it…
    138Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 17:14:19.67ID:SaNyr53M0
    >>3
    At least say Kawaguchi and Narazaki (Japan's legendary GK rivals from the late '90s/2000s).
    260Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 19:31:19.22ID:ma+oYfkb0
    >>3
    Don't lump Zion and Kokubo together.
    Kokubo's below Umeda even.
    6Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 15:54:14.96ID:WLi8lqD40
    Does he currently hold dual citizenship?
    112Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:54:44.97ID:jEpuzUcP0
    >>6
    Wikipedia lists his nationality as Japanese only.
    No idea how accurate that is though.
    153Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 17:32:29.74ID:Z9o+k3J20
    >>6
    Nigeria doesn't strip citizenship acquired by descent.

    So even if he picks a nationality in Japan by age 20,
    his Nigerian citizenship wouldn't automatically disappear.

    Unless he specifically goes through a renunciation process,
    there's a good chance he's still a Nigerian citizen.
    292Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 20:01:19.39ID:0XQaGdkU0
    >>6
    Only one parent is from Nigeria — he himself grew up in Japan as a Japanese person, so it probably wouldn't count as dual citizenship.
    16Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 15:57:40.95ID:6ECHDkqz0
    There's still a shot at being the No. 2 keeper, right?
    He just needs to earn his way up that far, and that should be doable.

    The problem is GK3 and below —
    basically zero chance there.

    Back in the Kawaguchi-Narazaki era, nobody outside those two ever got a look-in.
    22Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 15:59:41.03ID:FX5jQ6gi0
    >>16
    Kojima: "I was happy I got to watch the World Cup from the best seat in the house." (a nod to backup keeper Kojima's famous self-deprecating bench quote)
    241Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 19:15:20.93ID:673FpGsz0
    >>16
    Araki Rui is waiting in the wings too.
    54Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:14:03.73ID:8xRTyp2Z0
    Nigeria's national team goalkeepers
    Francis Uzoho, 27, Omonimo, Cyprus (played at the 2018 World Cup)
    Maduka Okoye, 26, Udinese, Italy (father Nigerian, mother German — born and raised in Germany)
    Arthur Okonkwo, 24, Wrexham, Wales (born and raised in England — capped for England up to U-18)
    71Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:26:17.85ID:kz93B8Ku0
    >>54
    No way Kokubo forces his way into that mix.
    101Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:44:02.12ID:c06pFwtU0
    >>54
    Doesn't look like they're short on keeper talent either, so this isn't happening.
    219Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:57:06.34ID:UOdnqymc0
    >>54
    Judging by this, Nigeria does seem willing to reach out to guys raised elsewhere.
    But it's probably a numbers game — contact a ton of players and count it lucky if even 10% bite.
    105Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 16:46:03.80ID:WKPivw2l0
    I wonder if people who really know goalkeeping can even tell the difference.
    Zion might be overrated — gives off Kawashima vibes.
    147Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 17:19:24.55ID:KqCCs9r20
    >>105
    He turned into a completely different player in three years.
    Youth is scary.
    155Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 17:32:57.62ID:2NBDT4XN0
    >>105
    He's said to have a narrow range, so it's scary pushing the back line up high. Taniguchi doesn't have the speed, so the defense sat back and built a low block, which kept Zion's limited range from being exposed — but that also meant they couldn't play a compact defense linked to a high press, so Brazil did whatever they wanted against them.
    178Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:04:36.67ID:VkStuvlP0
    Come on, keep some depth lol
    His performance could drop from injury or just plain decline, you know?
    Japan's goalkeeper pool is thin to begin with.
    179Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:05:21.41ID:+ufcsDqg0
    >>178
    Nah, the generation below him is scary good.
    189Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:16:52.07ID:ClisF4ww0
    Goalkeeper really is a cruel position, isn't it.
    Zion's locked in as the starter through the 2034 Saudi World Cup no matter what anyone does, and honestly there's a good chance he's still the starter for the 2038 tournament too.
    (If anything, if he's still playing, he could easily be the third-choice keeper even at the 2042 tournament lol)
    Which means every Japanese goalkeeper who peaks during that span has zero chance.
    Zion is probably going to bring more attention to the goalkeeper position than ever — but ironically, it might scare off talented kids who'd otherwise want to become keepers.
    190Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:19:02.84ID:+ufcsDqg0
    >>189
    It's not that simple — a talent who surpasses Zion will turn up.
    215Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 18:51:53.91ID:TRr0IMhw0
    >>189
    There are plenty of excellent young keepers coming up, starting with Araki, so it's questionable whether even the next spot is safe.
    226Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 19:07:06.34ID:b2MQ7RPX0
    >>189
    Too dumb, lmao
    There's every chance some guy with a name like "Zeion" shows up and blows right past Zion.

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geisoku Sokuho+) thread “[Soccer] “Because Suzuki Zion is there…” Nigeria call-up buzz emerges for Kashiwa Reysol product Kokubo Reo Brian!“

  • [Soccer] Ko Itakura set for Borussia Mönchengladbach return — local paper reports agreement reached, just a year after his Ajax move

    Japan national team defender Ko Itakura (29) has reached a verbal agreement with his former club Borussia Mönchengladbach to return to the Bundesliga side from Ajax, a local German paper reports. The transfer fee is said to be around 740 million yen including add-ons, on a four-year contract — a return just one year after joining Ajax.

    On 5channel, posters were split on whether his dip in form was down to a back injury or friction with his manager, and quite a few comments also worried about how his rumored girlfriend, actress Haruna Kawaguchi, would cope with life in Germany.

    Sports Nippon [August 19, 2026, 06:46]

    German outlet Rheinische Post reported on the 18th that Japan national team defender Ko Itakura (29), currently of Dutch top-flight side Ajax, has reached a verbal agreement to return to his former Bundesliga club Borussia Mönchengladbach. He is set to undergo a medical on the 19th, and if the move goes through it will mark his return after just a year away. The deal is reportedly a four-year contract worth 4 million euros (about 740 million yen) including add-ons.

    After joining Ajax last summer, Itakura secured a regular starting spot, but was sidelined for a long stretch from January with a back problem. He returned to action in April, but ended up making just 26 official appearances.

    Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here

    5Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:38:37.35ID:bGN5qMea0
    Never thought Itakura would fall this far.
    He never really cut it in the Netherlands anyway.
    7Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:39:10.02ID:72vLy/Vr0
    >>5
    Didn't you know he clashed with the manager and they never got along?
    13Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:43:03.14ID:s7ZqlY9h0
    >>7
    It was an injury, wasn't it? Didn't you watch the World Cup?
    47Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:04:21.68ID:UV7O8jN60
    >>7
    Clashing with the manager at today's Ajax would put you fifth-rate at best in the first place
    11Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:41:53.86ID:KmJUznPg0
    I wonder if Haruna Kawaguchi can actually live in Germany. She'll probably keep flying back to Japan now and then for acting work though
    17Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:44:03.55ID:AvDrmTbf0
    >>11
    She's a YouTuber, so she can live anywhere, right?
    85Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:44:55.39ID:XPDVl92K0
    >>11
    Apparently Düsseldorf, where a lot of Japanese people live, is less than an hour's drive from Mönchengladbach, so she should be fine?
    There are even Japanese-run hair salons and restaurants there
    20Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:45:17.65ID:s7ZqlY9h0
    Rough experience for Ajax, but it worked out for Itakura
    — he got Champions League appearances and time to rest up ahead of the World Cup
    32Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:50:41.67ID:3U+DcT3F0
    >>20
    And yet he still broke down at the World Cup in the end……
    35Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:54:20.75ID:iPOaS+p40
    Going back to his old club suggests it's mutual affection and he must be really comfortable there
    Though you could also read it as him having faced the reality that he can't expect to step up any further than this
    36Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:55:21.90ID:JJ50xv5y0
    >>35
    Back in his BMG days though, he had a high fitness/availability rate
    These days he's injury-prone, so who knows how that'll go
    126Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 09:25:00.60ID:I3GuXN1x0
    >>35
    Class-wise Ajax is the bigger club,
    but there's also the question of whether it suits him or not,
    hard to say how it'll turn out
    38Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:56:38.95ID:s7ZqlY9h0
    He's really a player who should have missed World Cup selection
    The fact that he made the squad is a success in itself
    — a miscalculation on the national team's part
    39Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 07:58:11.57ID:JJ50xv5y0
    >>38
    In the end he got subbed off partway through the first half against Sweden
    Why does Moriyasu keep calling up players in that kind of condition?
    55Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:12:53.08ID:2NBDT4XN0
    >>39
    Doan, Itakura, and Ueda were all in Mizuho's "Facing It With Blue: Samurai Blue" commercial, so there's no way they could drop him — I must've seen that DAZN ad a hundred times
    101Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:57:39.14ID:zXscwV+L0
    >>39
    Moriyasu makes bold picks in meaningless friendlies, but in the big, tough matches he only plays proven guys he personally trusts
    89Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:47:44.86ID:fwzDFDMD0
    The Bundesliga and the Eredivisie aren't really that different in level. About the only difference is whether Bayern's in it or not. If he's getting frozen out, better to go somewhere he can actually play
    95Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:53:55.17ID:e29IP/kM0
    >>89
    The Eredivisie's mid-table-and-below clubs are just too weak
    — well below Belgium's league
    That's why Eredivisie results don't get much credit
    276Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 15:36:59.22ID:u38OfsWK0
    >>89
    This guy clearly doesn't watch it at all
    Even Feyenoord/Ajax-level Dutch football is sloppy, roughly mid-table-Bundesliga level or below
    And the gap between the top and the rest is huge — the bottom half is honestly unwatchable
    97Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 08:54:51.05ID:/6kd7Tbk0
    Sakakura(sic) seemed to really love Amsterdam though
    — riding his bike around and all that
    104Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 09:03:32.80ID:GapC9ixM0
    >>97
    What's riding a bike got to do with anything lol
    246Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 14:28:54.57ID:dN6lNUed0
    >>97
    Saaa-ka-ku-raaa (mocking the wrong name — it's Itakura, not "Sakakura")
    123Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 09:20:43.08ID:ZBJgDf3A0
    He seems like he'd have the ability to go somewhere like Leipzig though
    127Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 09:25:00.74ID:BJ2TA/xV0
    >>123
    A top-of-the-Bundesliga club would be out of Itakura's league
    Being the regular CB for a weak Gladbach side bouncing between 10th–15th place is really about the level he's suited for, ability-wise
    130Anonymous2026/08/19(水) 09:30:37.61ID:336xyeuK0
    >>123
    They're a sell-on club (buy-low, sell-high business model), they don't take 29-year-olds

    *This article is compiled and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Ko Itakura set for Borussia Mönchengladbach return — local paper reports agreement reached, just a year after his Ajax move.”

  • Asian Cup: World Cup Captain DF Reportedly Set to Skip Tournament, Foreign Media Say

    Foreign media are reporting that the 29-year-old defender who captained the Japan national team at the World Cup intends to skip next year’s Asian Cup. The news set off a wave of reactions on 5ch, with users drawing comparisons to past national-team withdrawal controversies and questioning the very significance of the Asian Cup itself.

    Soccer Digest Web Editorial Team

    August 21, 2026

    Return from Ajax to Borussia Mönchengladbach confirmed on the 20th

    Source: soccerdigestweb.com / Original article here

    8Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:34:29.44ID:wOQFQPey0
    Endo and Kubo were already grumbling nonstop about being called up for the last Asian Cup too.
    Something about how getting summoned at this point messes with their fight for a starting spot.
    26Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:39:21.86ID:+ZXj3ZK10
    >>8
    Funny — his teammate Salah, who went to AFCON around the same time as Endo, never complained about it. Then again, Endo pulled that exact same attitude at the Mexico-hosted World Cup.
    148Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:15:47.94ID:SA/3mi0s0
    >>8
    That's just the kind of person Endo Wataru is. He got judged as someone who can't contribute off the pitch the way Nagatomo or Minamino can — hence that whole withdrawal saga.
    24Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:38:46.88ID:60/eHdiv0
    I mean, is it even okay to have a contract like that?
    33Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:41:51.36ID:+ZXj3ZK10
    >>24
    The national team can tie him down contractually, so they can still call him up.
    27Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:39:28.58ID:1P1c2Gf40
    Take a page from Taniguchi, who scored the winner again today and still clearly wants to play for the national team.
    Unlike Itakura, marriage only made him more fired up.
    45Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:46:09.88ID:XVi5T4kb0
    >>27
    Desire alone isn't enough.
    Taniguchi can't compete on the world stage.
    153Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:17:13.93ID:SA/3mi0s0
    >>27
    I figured that was it for him after the Qatar World Cup, but four years ago I never imagined he'd climb the CB pecking order and make it to this World Cup.
    44Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:46:04.73ID:84CRNRdD0
    A J.League all-star squad would be plenty for the Asian Cup — or just use the LA Olympics generation.
    50Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:48:24.85ID:cqLWPyuM0
    The Asian Cup doesn't even need to exist anymore.
    Only the Middle Eastern teams seem to actually care about it.
    There's zero benefit left in it for Japan.
    58Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:50:23.26ID:6kQcXWe00
    >>50
    Seriously, none at all.
    It'd be different if winning it got you a special invite to the Euros.
    51Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:48:32.44ID:hUrP/e+a0
    Wasn't Tomiyasu injured at the Asian Cup once?
    He doesn't need to play in it either.
    110Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:04:01.60ID:TDLDRzWz0
    >>51
    Tomi might be exactly that case. I can already picture it — either he messes something up at the tournament, or the damage piles up on that old injury and he ends up out mid-season.
    60Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:51:09.83ID:QLJAqELv0
    Way too many idiots underrating the Asian Cup.
    It's the best chance to boost your FIFA ranking,
    which helps your World Cup pot seeding too.
    Stay ranked low and you'll keep landing in the group of death forever.
    70Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:53:00.93ID:cqLWPyuM0
    >>60
    If anything, being grouped with Brazil makes it easier to advance in the tournament. We already learned the pot barely matters.
    79Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:54:23.81ID:a/9C7D0z0
    >>60
    Boosting the ranking is something players couldn't care less about.
    140Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:14:06.01ID:beqxgZm00
    >>60
    The moment you can't be grouped with fellow Asian teams, the odds of drawing a tough group go way up.
    67Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:52:07.28ID:a/9C7D0z0
    Someone explain why they're holding the Asian Cup a mere six months after the World Cup?
    In baseball terms it's like holding this year's Premier 12 six months after the WBC.
    Of course players don't want to show up for that.
    Mitoma and Kubo will probably bail too.
    80Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:54:30.33ID:LmbZWs8f0
    >>67
    Nagatomo will come running the second he's called up!
    81Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:54:31.80ID:xJ12W0Z20
    Back in the day, winning it used to earn you a spot at the Confederations Cup.
    99Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:59:50.23ID:n4LJ4MS70
    >>81
    I wish they'd bring the Confederations Cup back.
    83Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:54:50.91ID:cqLWPyuM0
    Chase Pot 1 and you end up facing Brazil in the very first knockout match. Landing in Brazil's group actually benefits Japan more than climbing the rankings does.
    138Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:13:38.57ID:pp6Af3+n0
    >>83
    That's just luck of the draw, not skill — how are you supposed to develop the team that way, especially with more countries joining now?
    91Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 07:56:35.06ID:a/9C7D0z0
    >>81
    At this point it's basically a punishment game.
    Worth even less than the Premier 12, which at least doubles as Olympic qualifying in baseball.
    105Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:01:28.12ID:a/9C7D0z0
    >>88
    Transfer fees are just money moving around — none of it goes into the players' pockets.
    108Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:02:58.91ID:cqLWPyuM0
    >>105
    Look at you bragging about salaries lol
    Bragging about your age too — how much of that money actually goes to you? lol
    Not a single yen of it, and yet here you are flexing lol
    107Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:02:34.87ID:voNNfTt10
    >>91
    Okay, that's just too dumb.
    The Asian Cup itself is on a whole different level above baseball's Olympics or the WBC.
    131Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:11:34.84ID:QLJAqELv0
    >>70
    They got absolutely crushed — what game were you even watching?
    139Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:14:01.92ID:oHJpRhSX0
    >>131
    It was 1-1 all the way into stoppage time.
    You're the one who should ask what game you were watching.
    132Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:11:51.93ID:e/fs1Q0l0
    It's a garbage tournament where a team like Qatar — who couldn't even grab a single point hosting their own World Cup — can end up champions.
    Realistically, Australia and Iran are about the only sides who can give Japan a good match, so friendlies against just those two would be more worthwhile.
    144Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:14:45.44ID:QLJAqELv0
    >>132
    No matter how many friendlies you play, the only team they ever actually beat when it counted was a Tunisia side that had already fallen apart.
    154Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:17:28.92ID:KicE0puY0
    >>144
    In soccer you get points even for a draw,
    so people don't think about it the way you do.
    Picking up 5 points in the group stage is actually pretty impressive.
    157Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:18:24.89ID:R/kcsrnr0
    >>154
    Way to lower the bar lol
    158Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 08:18:34.74ID:QLJAqELv0
    >>154
    That's exactly why they always lose in the knockout rounds.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinō/Sports News+) thread「[Soccer] No way! Dark clouds over Japan’s national team… 29-year-old DF who captained them at the World Cup may skip the Asian Cup. Foreign reports say he “intends to sit out”」.

  • [Football] Japan National Team Coaching Staff Retained — Nawa, Nakamura, Hasebe and 4 Others Stay On Through Asian Cup

    Following its board meeting on the 20th, the Japan Football Association announced the coaching staff for the national team heading into the AFC Asian Cup 2027, confirming that Hiroshi Nawa, Shunsuke Nakamura, Makoto Hasebe, and four others will all stay on. Manager Hajime Moriyasu’s contract also runs only through the Asian Cup, and on 5ch’s live-discussion threads, fans traded opinions over what to expect from Tsuyoshi Oiwa going forward, as well as the apparent aim of using Hasebe’s role with an eye toward a future stint as national team manager.

    Japan’s national team coaching staff confirmed to continue! Coach Hiroshi Nawa, Coach Shunsuke Nakamura, Coach Makoto Hasebe, and all 7 members retained from the North/Central America World Cup

    The Japan Football Association (JFA) held a board meeting on the 20th, followed by a press briefing. Managing Director Kazuyuki Yukawa announced that, per a resolution from the Technical Committee, the coaching staff for the Japan national team through the AFC Asian Cup 2027 has been decided.

    Manager Hajime Moriyasu’s contract runs through the AFC Asian Cup 2027, to be held in Saudi Arabia in January 2027.

    Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here

    13Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:27:50.55ID:49w59A4l0
    They clearly want to groom Hasebe from coach into national team manager.
    Okada had to take over suddenly because of Kamo's screw-up, but
    national team managers really ought to learn the ropes as a J.League manager first.
    114Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:40:11.01ID:WNdh04MC0
    >>13
    I don't think Hasebe needs to go through the J.League route.
    If he burns almost 10 years on J.League plus national team manager, that leaves way less time to manage overseas.
    Strike while the iron's hot — while there's demand for him, he should head to Frankfurt or wherever in the Bundesliga if there's an offer.
    16Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:28:53.79ID:dRavzfWd0
    Let Oiwa pick his own staff.
    Don't make him inherit this bloated coaching staff the last manager picked out of personal favoritism — is this Yamamoto's doing?
    43Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:47:21.92ID:JQdMiUHH0
    >>16
    Both the manager and the coaches are only signed through the Asian Cup.
    Oiwa gets a say after that.
    143Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 03:00:50.07ID:Fa6IXsdU0
    >>16
    Oiwa's going to carry on Moriyasu's approach.
    24Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:33:39.15ID:HH/AQCfF0
    Seriously, don't call Mitoma and 'Zion' back for something as minor as the Asian Cup ("Zion" — a fan nickname for a Japan international, likening him to NBA star Zion Williamson).
    Fine if it were a new manager, but Moriyasu's on his way out anyway.
    Bring Oiwa in as coach, build the squad around the Olympic-age players, and go win the thing with that lineup, you idiots.
    105Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:22:53.69ID:pBRWMaH20
    >>24
    Don't act so high and mighty, you scrub who can barely scrape into the round of 32 lol
    44Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:47:53.97ID:NbJ1czMe0
    Once this tournament's done, we can finally say goodbye to 'Poichi' and 'Nanami' (nicknames used for manager Moriyasu and coach Nawa).
    47Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:50:30.35ID:NNAmQPwo0
    >>44
    Nawa's contribution was huge.
    Go look up the national team's scoring output and win rate since he came on board.
    It was the best it's ever been.
    49Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 00:52:50.07ID:5SvSgRJ50
    Seriously, don't call up the Premier League guys.
    Let them focus on their clubs instead of the Asian Cup.
    73Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:00:44.28ID:OSgeQ0Oe0
    >>49
    Yeah, let's not call up the Premier League players for the World Cup or the Olympics either — let them focus on their clubs ❤
    70Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:00:10.32ID:5C1QId360
    Kazu (59) scores again!
    Football: rehab sport for guys pushing retirement age lol
    That's soccer for you lol

    [Emperor's Cup Football] Fukushima's Kazu scores! Sets new record for oldest pro goal at 59 years, 5 months, 24 days — Round 1 vs. Oyama Club [Shogun★]
    https://hayabusa9.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/mnewsplus/1787136433/






    So what are you guys gonna do now lol
    78Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:01:35.12ID:Jw7MhE4Y0
    >>70
    Losing it at this hour???
    126Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:49:49.84ID:fMElu+RZ0
    I get calling up Moriyasu since he won the J.League title, but
    why call up these coaches when they haven't even delivered results?
    129Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 01:54:30.15ID:e29P3UsY0
    >>126
    And where exactly are these coaches who 'have results'?
    133Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 02:04:51.23ID:UqArLHzz0
    All of them put together still couldn't beat Honda one-on-one.
    155Anonymous2026/08/21(金) 03:39:58.56ID:ayP+oSRi0
    >>133
    Makes no sense.
    Honda's completely out of the picture at this point.
    He's off shouting 'let me be national team manager' all on his own, but nobody's paying him any attention.

    *This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Football] Japan National Team Coaching Staff Decided! Coach Hiroshi Nawa, Coach Shunsuke Nakamura, Coach Makoto Hasebe, and All 7 Retained from the World Cup.”