In Group C of the third round of the Asian zone, Japan hosted Australia, the second-placed team in the group, with three wins in three matches. Japan is considered a strong contender for the qualification rounds, and its away win over Saudi Arabia has added confidence to the qualification situation. A solid win over Australia is all that is needed to secure a place in the tournament.
Despite the fact that Japan has many stars playing in Europe, is unrivaled in Asia, and has won nine consecutive matches outside of World Cup qualifying, team leader Boichi Mori is not complacent. In the face of the strength of the opponent, Mori Boichi preferred to play steadily, that defense plus efficiency is the key to victory. For example, in the match against North Korea, the team won by a narrow margin of 1-0.
Currently, Japan has won three consecutive group stage matches and their prospects of advancing are bright. Against a strong and physical Australia, there is no need for Japan to risk their offense. I believe they will continue to keep their solid tactics and even a small win will fulfill the needs.
For Australia, the team's defensive attitude has been conservative since Popovic took over, and with the target for this match set at one point, the team is expected to focus on defensive counterattacks. Despite winning 3-1 against China, the team was conservative in both offense and defense. This time, they will challenge Japan on the road and will undoubtedly further improve their defense. Although the Australian team has excellent ball control skills, they are not creative enough and their defense is clearly better. In their last five road matches, the team has scored four goals and conceded two or less, so they will need to try to score 2.5 goals in this match.
