Veteran journalist Yuriyo Donzawa has crafted the following lineup (4231):
The goalkeeping position is held by Daniel Schmidt.
The defense consists of Yuta Nakayama, Hwang Itakura, Akigo Taniguchi and Hiroki Sakai.
The midfield is controlled by the pairing of Hidemasa Morita and Bea Tanaka.
The offensive line is a synergistic trio of sluggers in Kubo Kenyoung, Minamino Takumi and Ito Junya.
On the forward line, Daizan Maeda, a recent transfer to Celtic, will pose a great threat to the defense with his swift speed and keen sense of touch in front of goal. His partnership with Jinya Ito, who specializes in breakaways, will be a highlight on the offensive end of the field. Takumi Minamino is deployed in a central position near the penalty area, where his scoring ability will be fully utilized. Kubo Kenyoung, on the other hand, will roam the left side of the field, either in tandem with players in the center or breaking through to the baseline for crosses.
In the midfield, the combination of Hidemasa Morita and Bea Tanaka is designed to cope with the unavailability of Air Endo. In the center backs, Hwang Itakura and Shogo Taniguchi have been chosen, as they have worked together at Kawasaki, and their understanding of each other will undoubtedly bring stability to the team.
In response to Japan's lack of attacking power, Yuriyo Donzawa believes the team will return to the classic 4231 formation in a bid to make a breakthrough in the tournament, given the home advantage and the goal of having to win three points.
