With just one week to go before the 26-man squad announcement, Kaoru Mitoma has picked up an injury. Whether he will still be selected remains a key question, with all eyes on coach Hajime Moriyasu’s decision.
Ahead of the Japan national team’s 26-man roster reveal on May 15, three journalists—Sato, Takeuchi, and Funaki—held a roundtable discussion to predict the squad. This is the best 18-plus to aim for World Cup glory in North America? Following the previous “GK, DF, and Defensive Midfielder” edition, here we present the “MF and FW” edition. In addition to Takumi Minamino, who is sidelined long-term with an ACL rupture, Kaoru Mitoma has now also picked up an injury. With several other attackers nursing knocks, the experts faced a tough selection process.
Goalkeeper Predictions:
Sato: Yuki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki
Takeuchi: Yuki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki
Funaki: Yuki Hayakawa, Keisuke Osako, Zion Suzuki
Defender Predictions:
Sato: Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Go Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Ayumu Seko, Yukinari Sugawara, Junno Suzuki
Takeuchi: Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Go Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Ayumu Seko, Tomoya Ando, Junno Suzuki
Funaki: Shogo Taniguchi, Ko Itakura, Go Watanabe, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Hiroki Ito, Yukinari Sugawara, Junno Suzuki
Defensive Midfielder Predictions:
Sato: Wataru Endo, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Kaishu Sano, Joel Chima Fujita
Takeuchi: Wataru Endo, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Kaishu Sano
Funaki: Wataru Endo, Hidemasa Morita, Daichi Kamada, Ao Tanaka, Kaishu Sano
With so many injuries, the possibility of taking backup members has emerged. Candidates include 22-year-old Kodo Sano (left) and 19-year-old Ryunosuke Sato (right).
Sato’s Attackers (MF/FW): Junya Ito, Kaoru Mitoma, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan, Keito Nakamura, Takefusa Kubo, Ryunosuke Sato
Takeuchi’s Attackers: Junya Ito, Kaoru Mitoma, Daizen Maeda, Ritsu Doan, Keito Nakamura, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki
Funaki’s Attackers: Junya Ito, Kaoru Mitoma, Ritsu Doan, Keito Nakamura, Takefusa Kubo, Yuito Suzuki, Ryunosuke Sato
Now, let’s move to the attacking sector. First, the midfielders—specifically the wingbacks and shadow strikers in the 3-4-2-1 system. Junya Ito (Genk) and Ritsu Doan (Frankfurt) on the right, Keito Nakamura (Reims) and Daizen Maeda (Celtic) on the left, and Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) as a shadow striker are almost certain. But then came unfortunate news: Mitoma injured his left hamstring on May 9 against Wolves and had to be substituted. The extent of the injury is unclear, but it doesn’t look minor.
Takeuchi: If Mitoma can recover within a month or two, I think he’ll still be selected. Since replacements can be made up to 24 hours before the first match, the team might pick him and wait until the last minute. Remember the 2018 World Cup in Russia? Shinji Okazaki and Takashi Inui were injured, so they brought young backups Asano and Ideguchi to Russia. In the end, Okazaki and Inui recovered, and Asano and Ideguchi left just before the tournament. Moriyasu was an assistant coach then, so he might use the same approach.
Sato: I agree. With so many injured players, it makes sense to bring backups.
Funaki: Same here. Even if they don’t make the final squad, the experience of being a backup is valuable. Asano used that disappointment as motivation and shone four years later at the Qatar World Cup.
At the Qatar World Cup, the technical director said that having a large squad for camp can complicate mentality, so they didn’t bring backups. It’s tough to handle players who miss the 26-man cut, but this time there are strong young candidates who would benefit greatly from the experience.
Moreover, it seems easier to select backups this time since many players are still featuring for their clubs until late May. Some might be called up just for the May 31 friendly against Iceland, making it logical to choose backups from a larger pool.
So, what are your predicted squads including backups?
Takeuchi: I have Junya Ito, Doan, Mitoma, Nakamura, Maeda, Kubo, and Yuito Suzuki (Freiburg). If Suzuki’s shoulder fracture doesn’t heal in time, I’d add Joel Chima Fujita, who can play both defensive midfield and shadow striker. As for support members, I predict Kodo Sano (NEC) and Ryunosuke Sato (FC Tokyo). If other players like Tomiyasu or Endo aren’t fit, we have depth at center-back, so one of these two might make the cut.
Sato: I include the six core players plus Ryunosuke Sato. I’ll explain his selection later. For support, I’m thinking Kodo Sano.
Funaki: I put
