World Cup NOW: Is Japan back as a top contender?

As the battle for who will move up and out of Group C in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup continues, Japan is starting to make its case as a force to be reckoned with following a 2-0 defeat of Costa Rica. The shutout is Japan’s second of the tournament, and this one featured goals from Hikaru Naomoto and 19-year-old Aoba Fujino.

Following the match, the “World Cup NOW” crew — Jimmy Conrad, Leslie Osborne, Heather O’Reilly and Alex Lalas — wondered if Japan really left it all out on the pitch, or if the team “let off the gas” after scoring twice in the first half.

Discussing Japan’s young core, and if they are back as contenders

Osborne: “I think they did what they had to do. They showed, obviously, their individual brilliance, and also collectively. I thought … we could’ve seen more, but they did what they had to do … and they move on. They roll on.”

O’Reilly: “I just feel like the entire day was light work for them. … [They] made four changes to their starting lineup, and they’re just like knocking it around. They are playing without stress, and I think … sometimes you just got to get the result. Move forward. They know that they have tougher days ahead. Keep people healthy. Share the wealth … six different goalscorers in seven goals scored, which is pretty incredible. So many different players are getting playing time and getting a goal — which, as we know from the last World Cup with the U.S. national team — could prove to be super powerful going forward.”

Lalas: This is a Japan team I think that a lot of people are coming to know, and have a lot of time for. I think they did take their foot of the — you know, in television — when they press down the key in the control room, and you leave it on? The reality is that all of this kind of stuff just comes in from the outside. I get the feeling that’s kind of what they did in this game, in that, I wanted them to leave the key down. I wanted them to go and go and go and go. And, they didn’t do that. But, it doesn’t mean that they can’t do that. We’ve already seen them score a bunch of goals. So, this was a much more mature … and, I guess more professional type of result. And, that’s all they need to do.

This is a team that is going to go through to the next round. The question is — the height of Japan’s prowess — have they gotten back? Are they rejuvenated? Are they renewed? Obviously, a very young team — a 19-year-old scoring — they’re the fourth-youngest team in the tournament, and only one player is over 30 years old. We all know this is a young person’s game when it comes to the international game, and certainly in the World Cup. How far can they take this? It’s fun to watch. … A World Cup is better when Japan is good.”

Conrad: One-hundred percent. In 2011, they obviously won the tournament; 2015, they got to the final; 2016, they didn’t qualify for the Olympics; and in 2019, they got knocked out in the round of 16. The Olympics they got knocked out in 2021 in the round of 16. Asian Cup in 2022, they got knocked out in the semifinals. Definitely a team in transition in some ways … they’re young … maybe they’re trying to establish a new identity.

Best of Japan vs. Costa Rica | 90in90

Osborne: “I think this is Japan’s golden generation. They’ve got five or six players that played in youth World Cups and have found a lot of success. There’s familiarity with the coach. There’s belief. There’s an understanding of how they want to play, and I think you’re starting to see it paying off here. They’re a collective unit, and that’s what they’ve been lacking. I also don’t think that they’ve been tested a lot. So, it’s hard to really say. Is this the real deal? They haven’t had to do much defensively.

O’Reilly: “It took years for Japan to get over that 5-2 result. Carli Lloyd scores a hat trick against you from midfield in the World Cup final. That was a bit of a mental blow that I feel like it took a lot for Japan to recover from. But, here they are. Maybe this generation doesn’t have that stink, and doesn’t have that bad memory to carry.”

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