As the East Asian Cup is about to begin, the Japan national soccer team has officially released its 26-player squad. The squad is centered on players from Japan's domestic J-League, with Kobe FC striker Yoshinori Muto, who has traveled to Europe to play for well-known teams such as Newcastle United, as the team's top player. Following the announcement of the roster, Japan's head coach, Mori Boichi, made a public appearance, candidly expressing his desire to win the championship and his determination to test the level of his domestic players through this tournament.
In the interview, Morihoichi revealed, "Our goal is to win the East Asian Cup and for that, we will give our best. The squad for this East Asian Cup is built with J-League players. The result of the tournament and the performance of the players will be an important reference for us to decide the World Cup squad. We hope to verify the ability of domestic players through this tournament, and it is also a stage to show the strength of J-League players.
The selection of players for this East Asian Cup is closely linked to the World Cup selection. I will be on hand to observe each player's performance and make a thorough evaluation of all the players who have been selected for the Japanese national team so far, and this information will serve as the basis for our final World Cup roster."
