Japan's nightmare streak for Sweden: Unbeaten run against Europe grows

Japan's remarkable unbeaten streak against European national teams, now standing at ten matches, continues to grow under head coach Hajime Moriyasu. Since his appointment in 2018, Japan has not suffered a defeat against European opposition, a run that includes eight wins and two draws. Their latest result, a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in their World Cup opener, extended this impressive record.

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The Netherlands were very strong, we were behind, a very difficult opponent. But the players stood united as a team, fought to the end and never gave up.

Moriyasu acknowledged the difficulty of the match against the Netherlands, praising his players' unity and fighting spirit. "The Netherlands were very strong, we were behind, a very difficult opponent. But the players stood united as a team, fought to the end and never gave up," he stated at a press conference.

The team's success is partly attributed to the increasing number of Japanese players competing in top European leagues, with twelve players in the current World Cup squad plying their trade in the continent's top five leagues. This exposure appears to have elevated the reputation and skill level of Japanese footballers globally.

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In the beginning, I played in VVV Venlo, a bottom team in the Netherlands. It was a good first step for me but now times have changed. Japanese players' reputation is much higher now.

Despite never advancing past the round of 16 in the World Cup, Japan is being tipped as a "dark horse" in the current tournament. Their form is strong, having recently defeated Tunisia 4-0. With four points from two matches, Japan shares the top spot in their group with the Netherlands, one point ahead of Sweden. Sweden, having lost to the Netherlands, now faces a must-win situation against Japan to secure a place in the knockout stage.

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I think the most important thing now is that we prepare to play against Japan. We know we are in a tough group.