Following the announcement of Japan’s squad for the top 16 matches, Chinese media promptly reported on it. Many Chinese fans expressed extremely pessimistic views, which were quickly picked up by Japanese media.
Japan’s head coach Hajime Moriyasu announced the new squad list on August 29th, including the return of players such as Junya Ito and Kaoru Mitoma to the national team. Apart from Europe-based players like Takehiro Tomiyasu and Yuki Itō who are absent due to injuries, star players including Takefusa Kubo were all included in the lineup.
Moriyasu has called up a total of 27 players, with 21 of them playing in Europe. Among those playing domestically in Japan, there are also players like Yuto Nagatomo, who have previously had long stints in European leagues.
The squad announcement has sparked heated discussions among Chinese fans. The most prevalent opinion is that “this Japanese team will completely defeat the Chinese team.” Some Chinese fans even worry about Japan taking their team lightly due to the overwhelming disparity, asking, “With such a lopsided comparison, would the Japanese team become overconfident?”
The fear of a 0-5 loss and the hope of avoiding a heavy defeat are also common sentiments. To many Chinese fans, a draw would be considered a victory, given that “Japan is currently ranked in the world’s top 20 and is the strongest contender in Asia to reach the World Cup finals.”
However, all these opinions were reprinted by Japanese media, making the pre-match public sentiment unfavorable for the Chinese team.
Japanese Media: Chinese Fans Feeling Premature Panic Over Potential Heavy Defeat Against Japan. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/33621.html
