In major upsets, both South Korea and Japan have advanced to the knockout stages. They both had difficult battles getting there having to overcome strong teams like Spain and Germany is an accomplishment nobody saw coming. Today, we will be discussing how Japan and South Korea did it, and whether it is sustainable. In other words, can we expect other East Asian countries to begin taking over the previously European-dominated world of soccer?
In the match between Japan and Spain, Japan held possession for less than 20% of the time. Yet, they managed to score twice and limit Spain to one goa. How did they do it? Before we dive too deep I would like to acknowledge Japan’s goal which was allowed by just a hair. I will explain why I think that goal symbolizes a lot more than just a goal. Throughout the entire match, Japan kept a high press. In other words, they were playing very aggressively putting a lot of pressure on the Spanish players. This method is difficult to maintain as it requires the players to run much more and must be faster. Additionally, it may appear that the Spanish player’s more advanced ball-handling skills allowed them to keep possession even with the more aggressive Japanese approach. However, because Japan’s players were higher up than normally when they did get possession they had a higher ratio of Japan : Spain players near the goal. This makes it much easier to score as there are more openings, and more players to pass to. Additionally, the Japanese team chased every ball even if it appeared it was going out. So Japan’s second goal was a culmination of their hunger and desire for possession eventually resulting in a goal. I am unsure of whether this tactic can be replicated by other East Asian teams. It requires a unique mindest from both the coach and players to sacrifice defense, work much more aggressively, and push harder.
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