2024-01-18 21:01:00
Star News Reporter Park Jae-ho | 2024.01.19 06:01
Hajime Moriyasu, head coach of the Japanese national soccer team. /Photo = Newsis Japan national soccer team coach. /AFPBBNews=News1 Hajime Moriyasu (55), coach of the Japanese national soccer team, recalled the ‘Doha tragedy’ 31 years ago. He seemed unconcerned, saying that Japanese soccer has made a lot of progress over the past 30 years. Japan will play the second match of Group D of the ‘2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup’ against Iraq at the Education City Stadium in Al Rayan, Qatar at 8:30 pm (Korean time) on the 19th. In the first game, Japan defeated Vietnam 4-2 and Iraq defeated Indonesia 3-1. As it is a match between Cho Yang-gang, a fierce match is expected.
A preliminary press conference was held on the 18th, the day before the game. According to Japan’s Gekisaka, coach Moriyasu attended the press conference together with central defender Ko Itakura (Mönchengladbach).
Coach Moriyasu was asked about the 1993 ‘Doha tragedy’, which remains the greatest pain in Japanese soccer history. To Japan, it is the ‘Tragedy of Doha,’ but in Korea, it is called the ‘Miracle of Doha.’ At the time, in the last game of the 1994 FIFA U.S. World Cup Asia final qualifying match, Korea was on the verge of elimination but miraculously made it to the finals, while Japan suffered the bitter taste of elimination just before their first advance to the World Cup. Japan was winning 2-1 against Iraq, but allowed Umran Jafar to equalize in extra time in the second half just before the end. As a result, Korea advanced to the World Cup ahead of Japan on goal difference. Coach Moriyasu at the time was a witness to the tragedy as he played in the Iraq War.
Coach Hajime Moriyasu (left) and Japan national soccer team players. /Photo=Newsis/AFPBBNews=News1 Director Philippe Trussier (left) and director Hajime Moriyasu. /Photo=31 years have passed since Newsis. Coach Moriyasu was asked, ‘Do you still have nightmares from the Iraq war at the time, or are you reluctant to fight against teams from the Middle East?’ He said, “The Iraq war 31 years ago remains only in my memory. Now, I am leading Japan as a coach, not a player. Today’s players, including Itakura next to me, were not even born at that time. Meanwhile, Japanese soccer has “We have improved a lot and become a team that can compete at the world level. We will play with this confidence tomorrow as well,” he said. There was a hint of confidence that Japanese soccer has changed significantly between now and 31 years ago. Coach Moriyasu emphasized, “I think the current Japanese national team players are showing great play that is completely different from what I experienced 30 years ago.”
Meanwhile, Japan has already changed the ‘Tragedy of Doha’ into ‘The Joy of Doha’. In the group stage of the 2022 FIFA Qatar World Cup held in Doha last November, Japan defeated powerhouse Germany 2-1 and advanced to the round of 16.
Directed by Hajime Moriyasu. /Photo = Newsis Japan national soccer team players. /AFPBBNews=News1
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