Towards the 2026 World Cup, most teams will choose friendly matches with national teams to review their forces and playing style. However, the Japanese team chose a... strange method when choosing to play friendly matches with players from the U19 Japan team.
After the friendly match against Iceland 1-0 at home on May 31, the Japanese team chose Mexico to organize a training camp lasting a few days. Initially, they chose to use the training area of Tigres club in the pre-tournament period, but the facilities here are said to not meet the standards set by the Japan Football Association. Unwillingly, the Japanese team had to switch to training at the headquarters of Monterrey club.
Here, coach Moriyasu had the Japanese team play a friendly match with the U19 team of this country. "Being able to play the match at my own pace, and with the high competitiveness from the opponent, honestly speaking, after the match, I feel today's match is even better than a normal friendly match," Mr. Moriyasu said after the match with U19 Japan.
According to Japanese media, the match between the national team of this country and U19 Japan takes place in a flexible format that usually does not happen in a friendly match. To create playing opportunities for as many players as possible and ensure that the playing time is suitable for their physical condition, the match is divided into four halves, each half 35 minutes, not according to normal rules.
The U19 team is required to play like a "virtual" Dutch team (The Netherlands is Japan's first opponent at the 2026 World Cup). In addition, after the second and fourth quarters, a penalty shootout was organized for the players to practice.
The match, combining factors that could not be in a friendly match, ended with a 2-1 victory for Japan thanks to goals from defender Jun Suzuki and striker Shiogai. The penalty shootout result was 1 win and 1 loss for Mr. Moriyasu's team.
The Japanese team has taken careful measures to cope with the heat, a key issue of the tournament. The start time was moved to 4 pm, earlier than initially planned, so that players have time to get used to the conditions before the official tournament takes place.
This is because they want players to gain practical experience in hot weather conditions. While other countries have players who are injured in friendly matches, the Japanese team avoids that thanks to its flexible and unique training methods.
The Japanese team has moved to Nashville, USA to camp, preparing for the opening match against the Netherlands on June 14. "We have adapted well to the heat and humidity. Now, we want the whole team to be in the best physical condition and reach 100% form when the World Cup starts," Mr. Moriyasu shared.
Moriyasu's unique training method is also a message he wants to aim for the future of Japanese football. According to him, participating in the preparation process for the 2026 World Cup with the national team will be very helpful for the maturity of the U19 Japan players.
At the 2026 World Cup, the Japanese team aims for the highest title even though in history, they have never qualified for the quarter-finals.
