The last World Cup victory was no fluke.

Japan defeated Germany 4-1 in a friendly on Tuesday at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Japan opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a goal from Junya Ito. They equalized eight minutes later through Leroy Sane, but Ayase Ueda scored in the 22nd minute to put them back in front. After protecting their one-goal lead in the second half, Japan added goals from Takuma Asano and Ao Tanaka in the final minutes of the game to secure a three-goal victory.

Japan also defeated Germany 2-1 in the group stage of last year’s World Cup in Qatar, proving that victory was no fluke by winning again in the return match nearly 10 months later. It was even away from home, and their opponents were at nearly 100% strength.

Recently, Japan has been on a roll, winning three straight A matches. In June, they thrashed El Salvador 6-0, followed by a 4-1 win over Peru. They are looking to build momentum ahead of the Asian Cup in Qatar next January.

There are stark comparisons to South Korea, who reached the round of 16 at the World Cup in Qatar alongside Japan. Like Japan, South Korea made it out of the group stage, but have struggled since parting ways with former coach Paulo Bento. Jürgen Klinsmann, a former star player, took over, but the team is winless in five consecutive A matches.

What’s worse is Klinsmann’s work ethic. Not only does he not live in South Korea, but he is more interested in things that have nothing to do with the national team. Regardless of the content or outcome of the game, the attitude and integrity of the head coach is a serious concern.

Japan, on the other hand, has been able to build a consistent team by re-signing Hajime Moriyasu, the domestic coach who led them to the round of 16. Moriyasu took over in 2018 and is now in his sixth year at the helm.

Japan’s roster for the trip to Germany is dominated by overseas players. Of the 26 players, only four are from the J-League. This is the result of their aggressive expansion into Europe, 카지노사이트 which has resulted in four or five teams made up entirely of European players.

That’s not to say that South Korea is outclassed by Japan in terms of player composition. In fact, the quality of their best 11, led by Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich), and Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain), is on par with Japan.

South Korea will be looking to win their first Asian Cup title in Qatar in 44 years, since 1960. They have great resources, but the current mood is pessimistic about their chances. Their coach has been criticized for his attitude, not his ability. With South Korea and Japan’s post-World Cup performances being so mixed, the focus on the Asian Cup has shifted from anticipation to worry.