‘While we’re at it, let’s get Turkiye!

Three wins in a row. A whopping 14 goals in three games, with only two conceded. A 4-1 victory over Germany on Sept. 10 (ET). Following the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the ‘Chariots of Fire’ have won back-to-back games against Germany. Japanese soccer is no slouch. Their attack, midfield, and defense have all been praised for being close to world-class.

Now they’re looking for their first win in 21 years. Their next opponent is another European powerhouse, Turkuye. On December 12, they will play an exhibition match at the Seheka Arena in Genk, Belgium. Confidence is high. In June, they thrashed El Salvador 6-0 and Peru 4-1 at home. They then traveled to Europe and thrashed Germany 4-1. They have every reason to be confident.

It’s been more than 21 years since they last met in the round of 16 at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup. They will be looking to avenge a 0-1 defeat at the 2002 Japan-Korea World Cup. Japan entered the tournament as the top seed in Group H at the time. With home advantage, they were well organized and reached the round of 16 for the first time in their history. However, they were unable to go any higher as they were held back by Turkiye. A defensive breakdown in the early stages of the game cost them. In the 12th minute, they conceded a header to Wimit Davala from a corner. They were unable to recover and were eliminated.

The team is determined to get back to winning ways against Turkuye, who left a bad taste in their mouths at the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, where they played as co-hosts. Recently, the whistle blew on a three-game winning streak. They have defeated teams from North and Central America, South America, and Europe. In all three games, they won by more than three goals. Turkiye is also on a roll. They are unbeaten in their last three games with two wins and a draw. In Euro 2024 qualifying, they beat Latvia 3-2, Wales 2-0, and drew 1-1 with Armenia.안전놀이터

It’s been a long time coming. Since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Japan has continued to compete in international tournaments, including the World Cup, and has become an Asian powerhouse. Turkiye also made a strong impression at Euro 2008. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a friendly between an Asian powerhouse and a European powerhouse. It will be interesting to see if Japan, who are on the rise, can overcome the fully-fledged Turkiye in a European trial.