One’s a dual under-23 and senior national team coach renowned for demanding mental toughness from his players and a stilted style of football, and the other is Graham Arnold.
Hajime Moriyasu will almost certainly be sacked as Japan coach should the Samurai Blue lose to Australia at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday night.
Even if the Asian giants manage to avoid defeat, there are still plenty in Japan who would be happy to see the back of Moriyasu.
After their latest 1-0 defeat to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, influential critic Sergio Echigo accused Moriyasu of getting his excuses in early, writing in Nikkan Sports that Moriyasu had talked about “jetlag” and “the climate” before the game.
The loss was Japan’s second since Asian qualifying resumed in September, after the Samurai Blue crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat to Oman just north of Osaka on the opening match day.
Japan conceded a late winner in that one, and they were undone by substitute Firas al-Buraikan against the Saudis, as he slalomed through on goal to nutmeg Shuichi Gonda in front of a raucous crowd in Jeddah.
That crowd grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the full-time whistle, with Japan skipper Maya Yoshida accusing Saudi fans behind the goal of making “discriminatory gestures” during a post-match interview.
The multilingual, hugely experienced Yoshida didn’t want to take the matter further after the Saudi federation apologised after the match, but it’s a problem the Asian Football Confederation would do well stamp out as quickly as possible.
But the Japanese have problems of their own – not least the fact they’ve only scored one goal in their last three Asian qualifiers.
That was Yuya Osako’s winner in the 1-0 win over China, and while the Samurai Blue continue to fashion an avalanche of chances, questions remain over whether Osako remains the right man to finish them off.
Osako, who only recently joined Vissel Kobe after a long stint in Europe, is Japan’s most experienced striker. But with Kyogo Furuhashi and Ado Onaiwu both coming off the bench in Jeddah, Moriyasu will surely hope for more sharpness in front of goal in Saitama.
What Graham Arnold and his Socceroos side must remain wary of is the fact Japan can create chances at the drop of a hat.
They fashioned several in the defeat to Saudi Arabia and while on-loan Mallorca star Takefusa Kubo is missing through injury, it’s not like Takumi Minamino, Daichi Kamada, Takuma Asano and Junya Ito – who was suspended against the Saudis – don’t know their way towards goal.
Moriyasu, for his part, was a tough-as-nails holding midfielder for Sanfrecce Hiroshima who actually played a season with Arnold in 1997.
He then won three J.League titles in four seasons as Hiroshima coach between 2012 and 2015, before taking charge of the national team in 2018 and collecting a runners-up medal at the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.
Graham Arnold (Francois Nel/Getty Images)
But Moriyasu – whose son Keigo also spent a couple of seasons at NPL Northern NSW side Edgeworth Eagles – is under intense pressure to turn Japan’s undoubted talent into tangible results.
And it’s here Arnold holds all the cards. Not only are the Socceroos in the midst of a record-breaking 11-game winning streak, but for once the Aussies won’t run out in front of a deafening home crowd at Saitama Stadium.
I was at the corresponding fixture four years ago when Vahid Halilhodzic put on a tactical masterclass in a 2-0 win over Ange Postecoglou’s side. The Bosnian was sacked soon after.
And while ongoing COVID restrictions mean the Samurai Blue won’t enjoy their usual fanatical support, it’s not like they can be taken lightly in Saitama.
The Japanese have always viewed South Korea and China as much bigger rivals than Australia.
A win on Tuesday night – in a game that could see the unpopular Moriyasu sent packing – might help to change all that.
*Watch the Socceroos take on Japan on 10Bold at 9:14pm (AEST) on Tuesday night.*
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Where on the actual Tv broadcast or online? I am watching on the TV now in Sydney and see nothing.
Winter
Guest
Tuesday night's game against Japan will however be shown on secondary channel 10 Bold with The Cheap Seats and NCIS: Los Angeles to be shown at the same time on the broadcaster's main channel.
Marcel
Guest
Maybe my timing has just been fortunate....but I've seen an add advertising the Oman + Japan fixtures a few times now.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Japan's occupation and warring with China and Korea goes a long way back before World War Two, way, way back. It's very deeply embedded in the minds of China and Korea.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
like i've said countless times before on souttar, he is a solid club player; not a solid international player - there is a massive difference between club and international he's not the only one, lots of players struggle when they are not at thier club. arnold will no doubt still start him lol
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
I really dont think an experienced operator like James Johnson is going to put his moniker on a contract that doesn't promote football. if he did he would be answerable to the APL and the fans. And in support of my previous comment, I watched the Sunday Sports show on 9 yesterday morning, purely to see if they mentioned the national lads. I might have missed it but nada, zip, zilch, zero,nothing. even the pictures of sports stars on the front of their desk completely omits football. How old is Rupert these days......pushing 100? When the business gets passed to one of his sons, I have fiver says things will change, especially if 7 take the NRL
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
good call waz
Football is Life
Roar Rookie
yeah, well that Vlandys bloke who runs the NRL, is also the Chairman of one of the Horse Racing Committees, and if you check the news, Channel 7 is circling the NRL. This means potentially, 7 will purchase the NRL, do what they did to football i.e. lock it up or broadcast it at stupid o'clock and give 7's jewel in the crown, AFL the run of the place. I am not sure if you have kept an eye on the news, but apparently 9 is not a healthy beast these days. What we really need is for Paramount to get up and running asap so that decent coverage is on demand.
JP
Guest
No, rivalry is more then just Sport results, it is also a Cultural thing. Just Like Australia's Rivalry vs England in Cricket, if South Africa win multiple times against Australia there would hardly be the Same level Rivalry
Nick Symonds
Guest
"Arnold will need different tactics against Japan than he has used so far." - FTBL: As Arnie said: “It’s the sign of a good team to win when you’re not playing well.” It’s also the sign of a good coach to adapt to the conditions and make the kind of changes necessary to give his team the best possible chance. Asia is the most diverse of continents with the broadest range of playing conditions. Why on Earth should we approach that with just one game plan? - https://www.ftbl.com.au/analysis/opinion-unconvinced-by-socceroos-or-souttar-but-hrustic-is-a-star-569558
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
When you pay Tomic a million dollars to go on the jungle thats a joke. In terms of promoting in the jungle rubbish and the Big Bash, they start months before the event and its on every ad break. The first Big Bash they started six months before the event. If you spend so much of your promotion on limited runs shows way ahead of their time thats why Channel 10 has a problem. Looking at their celebrities on masterchef, maybe they just paid Ramsays daughter to come on the rest pretty ordinary, Masterchef celebrtiy was sunk by the block. If they want ratings the first thing they should do is the De Vanna special and they would pay a lot less for her to spill the beans than they did to torture Tomic with jungle creatures. This would rate through the roof, De Vanna to me is a natural. Now people are promoting anti-vax just for the publicity and crowd funding, lets wait for the deadliest disease in recent history to come around and then start being anti vax. They should be doing a show on the A-leagues anti-vaxers. this would rate through the roof. Look at Sam Frost now she is number one news story.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
China and both Koreas the number one team they want to beat is Japan and thats to do with world war 2 not football. Japan has more of a football rivalry with South Korea they were their stumbling block in the old days, South Korea being one of the strongest asian teams alongside Iran, and Australia have rivalries as they met through Asia as well in the old days , but the draw has put South Korea and Iran together so many times in a row and Japan and Australia in the other group, the South Korea and Iran rivalries have faded. Scotland and England they played the first international, English avoided playing internationally on the continent and going to world cups till 1950, so whether the English like it or not Scotland is their main rival. Scotland and England both still in UEFA. New Zealand now their rival is Tahiti, who beat them for the Confederations cup. South America and North America have the best rivalries because they meet in one big group for world cup qualifying.
At work
Roar Rookie
Me too, apart from us I really want Japan going through to represent our confederation at the WC.
Nick Symonds
Guest
WCQ GROUP STATS Group positions with total goals for and against in brackets: 1 – Australia (7/1) 2 – Saudi Arabia (5/1) 3 – Japan (1/2) 4 – Oman (2/4) 5 – China (3/6) 6 – Vietnam (3/7) Notes: *All teams have played 3 matches each **Australia have scored the most goals with 7, while being equal lowest with Saudi Arabia on goals conceded with 1 each giving Australia a goal difference of +6 versus +4 for Saudi Arabia ***Japan have scored just 1 goal while conceding 2 for a goal difference of -1
Midfielder
Roar Guru
always nervous about these matches... thank heavens its on at a decent time...
GWSingapore
Roar Rookie
Important match for Australia. Receiving good coverage here too. MediaCorp via Channel News Asia with good reporting from Michael Church. More importantly the match itself is live on Starhub's major sports platform on Hub Sports 2 from 21.00. As I have written before, many Australians would be surprised at the profile the Socceroos have in Asia.
At work
Roar Rookie
From everything I've seen and heard it's nothing but positive what Ch.10 have been doing in terms of promotion. And nobody should think that football is near those other trash reality shows you mentioned, because they rate big time. Without MasterChef and the Bachelor Ch.10 would sink.
Tigertown
Guest
Out of the six teams in Group B, I would love Japan to qualify for the World Cup as well, but a win is a win, & Australia requires it. I feel we’re experiencing a Renaissance of football in Oz, & Arnold is the transitional artist who will make it happen.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I have seen plenty of Archie on masterchef promos, second only to Ramsays daughter, but thats promoting masterchef. I dont watch the ten news or ten round the clock , the indirect promotion yes, but I haven't seen one ad on Socceroos matches.
Winter
Guest
Is it because the socceroos are currently made up of non A League players? The A League season needs to be longer and hopefully a few new A League teams will help.