Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Korea in the Asian Games men’s football final could prove to be a valuable learning experience for the young Japanese players eyeing the LA28 Olympic Games.
In April 2028, when Japan host the U23 Asian Cup that will provide quotas for two teams from the continent for the Los Angeles Games, the conditions will likely be similar to the ones they faced in Tokyo.
Sellout crowds and sky high expectations are expected, with the opposition likely to do everything in their power to stop one of Asia’s most talented and popular groups of players.
Japan’s under-21s played well on Saturday at Toyota Stadium, even though it was their arch-rivals Republic of Korea who walked away with their fourth consecutive gold medal. It was the third straight meeting between the two sides in the men’s final.
Out to reclaim the crown on home soil for the first time in 16 years, Japan dominated possession for large periods of the game and had their chances, but were unable to take any of them.
Credit must go to the Korean players, who were certainly determined to hang on to the lead they took just after the hour mark, against the run of play.
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