Coach Hoàng Ngọc Hào: 'Japan's national team has made remarkable progress'

According to Coach Hoàng Ngọc Hào, Japan has shown transformative progress in the 2026 World Cup, evident in their commanding gameplay and incredible finishing ability.

The overwhelming 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the second group stage match highlighted Japan's formidable strength. In this game, the Asian representatives completely controlled the match, dominated possession, and forced their opponents into a defensive struggle for the entire 90 minutes.

Witnessing this stunning performance, Coach Hoàng Ngọc Hào (from Hanoi's youth club) expressed strong admiration: "What happened on the pitch was truly overwhelming. Japan was far superior and dominated their opponents in the most proactive way.

They held 62% possession and imposed their game plan entirely. The most terrifying aspect of Japan in this match was their ruthless efficiency in finishing.

They took 8 shots, 5 of which were on target, converting those into 4 goals—a conversion rate of 80% based on shots on target. Coach Hajime Moriyasu's players displayed scientific, coherent football with a highly synchronized and unified team shape.

They repeatedly used vertical passes through the lines to attack Tunisia's defense directly. Before making decisive passes, Japan deliberately circulated the ball slowly to stretch the opponent's formation, then suddenly accelerated in the final third, catching the opposition completely off guard. Their one-touch combinations, off-the-ball movement to draw defenders, positional blocking of center-backs, and finishing were truly world-class.

Compared to previous World Cups, Japan has made tremendous strides and entered the tournament with a completely different mindset, ready to compete on equal footing with top global teams like the Netherlands.

Although it's too early to predict how far Japan will go in the 2026 World Cup, if they maintain this peak form, they will undoubtedly be the most intriguing wildcard of this year's tournament."

Alongside the Asian team's victory, the former player of Saigon Club and Hong Linh Ha Tinh also provided deep analysis of the Netherlands' display of strength against Sweden: "The Dutch team played an excellent match and asserted their big-team credentials. They completely controlled the tempo of the game as they wished. In the first 20 minutes, the Netherlands proactively attacked early, suffocating Sweden's defense with diverse offensive strategies.

Even when losing possession, their midfield system positioned and covered very well, completely severing the connection between Sweden's lines and neutralizing any fast-break opportunities. After securing a two-goal lead, the Netherlands deliberately slowed the pace, played calmly, and dropped into a proactive defensive shape. This approach showed a very pragmatic Dutch side, aware of both their own strengths and the opponent's weaknesses."