Japan Have Stopped Being a Surprise — Now They Are an Expectation

Japan have just delivered another statement at the World Cup. Twice they fell behind against the Netherlands. Twice they fought their way back. The second equaliser came in the 88th minute.

And yet, none of this surprised Hajime Moriyasu.

Before the tournament, the man who has led Japan since 2018 made his ambition clear: “I want football to change the belief that Japan cannot become the best in the world in a contact sport.”

This is the same Japan that stunned Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup, topped their group, and announced themselves as a genuine force on the global stage.

Since then, they have continued going toe-to-toe with some of Europe’s biggest powers — just as they did against the Netherlands.

They have stopped being a surprise and started becoming an expectation.

Japan have every reason to believe. 🇯🇵