Should we blame Halmstad BK's old coach Janne Jönsson for Japan entering the group stage finale against Sweden as heavy favorites?
When Hajime Moriyasu is asked if he has contacted Jönsson, the Japanese head coach breaks into a smile for the first time during Wednesday's press conference.
"I call him 'Janne'. When he worked in Japan we had contact. Not now, but I must say it was not a stupid idea at all. When I played in Hiroshima he was the coach there. I learned so much from him. Please tell me what he does," says Moriyasu.
Janne Jönsson was active in the Japanese league in the 1990s and if he is the one behind Moriyasu's coaching qualities, it can be said that he (unfortunately for the Swedish side) has done an exemplary job.
Ten without defeat
Since Moriyasu took over as head coach after the 2018 World Cup, the Japanese men's national team has had a strong record, especially against European countries.
Ten matches: eight wins, two draws. Their opposition has not been easy either. Under Moriyasu, Japan has defeated major nations such as England, Spain and Germany (twice). And as recently as the World Cup opener, they drew with the Netherlands (2–2).
"They haven't lost to a European team in eight years. It's a very impressive team that we have a lot of respect for," says Sweden head coach Graham Potter.
Sweden, ranked 36th in the world, should be a tough opponent?
Good luck getting Hajime Moriyasu to admit it.
"Sweden has a strong team, with good defense and very fast players. They also have a huge attacking force up front; they are world class there," says the Japanese head coach.
Going for the group victory
The 57-year-old former international player answers all the questions asked at the podium inside Dallas Stadium the day before the game with kindness and patience. There's nothing wrong with confidence, after all.
We want to win tomorrow. That's what we're aiming for. And if possible, we want to advance as group leader by scoring as many goals as possible.
Sweden defeated Tunisia 5-1 in their World Cup opener and then lost to the Netherlands by the same score. Hajime Moriyasu is clear about which of Sweden's performances has impressed him the most.
"The match against Tunisia, of course. In that you saw the difference in physical strength. I learned a lot from that match, about the players in the defensive line and about the attacking players like Isak and Gyökeres. They are world-class strikers."
The last time Japan lost to European opposition in regular time was on July 2, 2018, in the World Cup round of 16 against Belgium (2–3). Since then, matches against European nations have ended as follows:
June 11, 2021: Serbia 1–0.
November 23, 2022, World Cup group stage: Germany 2–1.
December 1, 2022, World Cup group stage: Spain 2–1.
December 5, 2022, World Cup round of 16: Croatia 1–1 (1–3 after penalties).
9 September 2023: 4–1 Germany.
September 12, 2023: Turkey 4–2.
March 28, 2026: Scotland 1–0.
March 31, 2026: England 1–0.
May 31, 2026: Iceland 1–0.
June 14, 2026, World Cup group stage: Netherlands 2–2.
