Japan coach vows to pick penalty shootout takers against Brazil

Japan's coach Hajime Moriyasu intends to pre-determine the penalty takers for a potential shootout in their World Cup clash against Brazil, a departure from the player-led decisions that contributed to their 2022 exit. "This time when the moment comes for the penalty kick shootout is probable I would like to decide the order of the kickers rather than players volunteering like last time," Moriyasu stated Sunday.

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This time when the moment comes for the penalty kick shootout is probable I would like to decide the order of the kickers rather than players volunteering like last time

The Japanese squad harbors ambitions of reaching their first-ever final, bolstered by recent high-profile victories against Germany, Spain, and England. However, they face a formidable opponent in Brazil, whom they defeated 3-2 in a friendly last October. Moriyasu confirmed that winger Takefusa Kubo will be sidelined due to an injury sustained during the group stage. "He's not taking part in the general part of training, he is doing his individual training," Moriyasu explained. "He is not going to play in the match against Brazil. We want him to recover quickly and he wants it too."

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He's not taking part in the general part of training, he is doing his individual training. He is not going to play in the match against Brazil. We want him to recover quickly and he wants it too.

Moriyasu acknowledged the demanding tournament schedule, noting the extensive travel across Canada, the United States, and Mexico and the disadvantage of having one fewer rest day than Brazil. Despite these challenges, he expressed confidence in his team's ability to compete. "In the near term we believe we are able to win and we believe we have that chance... even for this World Cup," Moriyasu said. "Some people said Japan would be a dark horse and we will be playing with that in mind."

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In the near term we believe we are able to win and we believe we have that chance... even for this World Cup. Some people said Japan would be a dark horse and we will be playing with that in mind.