The September A-match roster for the Japanese national soccer team led by head coach Hajime Moriyasu has been announced.
On the 31st (Korean time), coach Moriyasu announced the list of players who will participate in the September A match through the official website of the Japan Football Association (JFA). On the 10th of next month, the Japanese national team will play an evaluation match against Germany at Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg. On the 13th, three days later, a match against Türkiye is scheduled at the Genk Cekena Arena in Belgium.
Although it was an evaluation match, coach Moriyasu brought out many of the key resources of the Japanese national team. Japan national team captain Endo Wataru, “Japan national team’s future” Takefusa Kubo, and Arsenal’s Takehiro Tomiyasu were named. Brighton & Hove Albion’s key wing forward Kaoru Mitoma was also included.
The most noteworthy thing about this list is the exclusion of Takumi Minamino from AS Monaco. Minamino was a midfielder who played a pivotal role in the Japanese national team to the extent that he was selected for the 2019 Asian Football Federation (AFC) Asian Cup and the 2022 International Football Federation (FIFA) Qatar. Unlike previous tournaments, coach Moriyasu did not call Minamino to a friendly match.
Minamino joined Liverpool in January 2020 based on his performances at Red Bull Salzburg, but his career took a turn for the worse after that. He had a hard time adapting to the EPL stage. He has been on loan at Southampton, but that hasn’t changed. Last summer Minamino left Liverpool for AS Monaco. Last season, he was selected as the league’s worst 11 by ESPN, a sports media outlet, and seemed to remain a forgotten player.토토사이트
This season, Minamino has completely transformed. He is making a big success in Ligue 1 in the 2023/24 season with 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 games. Minamino is tied for first place (5) in attack points with Jude Bellingham among players currently playing in the top 5 European leagues. The Japanese national team boasts a strong player base to the extent that Minamino, who has transformed into a top-notch Ligue 1 midfielder, was eliminated.
The reaction of the Japanese public was varied. “Minamino’s top priority is to solidify her position in Monaco,” said one positively. On the other hand, there was also an opinion that raised a question mark, saying, “She has a different position, but Aoi Tanaka was selected, but it is questionable why Minamino was excluded.”
