Pre-match information
The 2026 AFC U23 Championship quarter-final match between U23 Japan and U23 Jordan is considered a match with a fairly clear difference in force balance. As the defending champion, U23 Japan entered the knockout round with the top candidate position for the highest title, while U23 Jordan has the mentality of a team that first passed the group stage after many tournaments.
U23 Japan soon won a ticket to the quarter-finals thanks to two convincing victories against U23 Syria and U23 UAE. In particular, the 3-0 victory over U23 UAE shows the superiority of the "Young Samurai" against a strong and experienced opponent in the continent. Only using a rotating squad in the last round of the group stage made the result against U23 Qatar not fully reflect the strength of the East Asian representative. The biggest strength of U23 Japan lies in the depth of the squad and the ability to maintain a stable playing intensity throughout 90 minutes.
Under the 4-2-3-1 formation, U23 Japan shows a balance between attack and defense. The defense system is tightly organized, while the front line possesses many creative factors. Ozeki plays the role of conductor in the midfield with the ability to regulate and control the pace of the match, while Sato is the dangerous spearhead behind the center forward, often creating breakthroughs thanks to finishing and assisting skills.
In the opposite direction, U23 Jordan also left a certain mark in the group stage. After the defeat to U23 Vietnam in the opening match, the West Asian team rallied strongly when defeating host U23 Saudi Arabia and overcoming U23 Kyrgyzstan to win a ticket to the next round.
However, the defense of U23 Jordan still reveals many problems, especially when facing teams with diverse attacking capabilities. Having completed the goal of surpassing the group stage may help U23 Jordan play more openly, but against a comprehensive and experienced U23 Japan, this is predicted to be a huge challenge for coach Omar Njhi's team.
