Former Japanese national team player Tulio Tanaka discussed Japan's knockout stage opponents on a podcast.
If Japan's group stage opponent is Morocco (first place) and France (third place) in the knockout stage...
"If I had to choose one of the three opponents—Brazil, Morocco, or France—I think facing Brazil would be the best matchup for me."
"If they face Morocco, Japan will have a hard time scoring and will have to play a passive defensive role for a long time; with Japan's current strength, they simply cannot beat France."
"Brazil can't play the typical South American style of football like Paraguay, and their footwork is also unremarkable."
"If Japan plays a mature game in the remaining 45 minutes of the second half, they can at least drag the game into extra time or even a penalty shootout, and they will have a real chance to cause Brazil more trouble. From this perspective, this game is indeed a good opportunity to win."
"Looking back now, Japan originally had a chance to win this game."
"It's fine to talk about winning the championship, but the team must be realistic and move forward steadily."
