A brilliant runners-up record at the 2019 Asian Cup, coupled with a recent one-two punch, has made Japan one of the teams with the highest claim to the title at the tournament.
Given the mixed form of the returning players, Coach Hiromichi Mori intends to give every player a chance to play in the group stage. Success in the first group game is crucial in order to ensure that the road to promotion is smooth sailing.
Junichi Ito, a naturalized player from the Euroleague who has been in hot form lately, showed great form in a recent friendly win over Thailand and is expected to charge up front for his team.
Vietnam is currently coached by former Japan head coach Dusya, and I have no doubt that his familiarity with the Blue Warriors' players will help him formulate an exquisite pre-tournament strategy for this tournament. But the fact remains that there is a clear gap between the two sides, and even with Dusya's extensive experience coaching Japan, it will be difficult for him to bridge that gap.
Vietnam has a number of skillful players such as Pham Jun Hai and Nguyen Quang Hai, who are the team's key players and source of creativity respectively. However, they are often unable to maintain their competitive level when the intensity of the game is raised.
