Beijing, June 27th (Xinhua)On June 25th local time, in the final round of Group F of the 2026 FIFA World Cup held at the Dallas Stadium in the United States, Japan drew 1-1 with Sweden. The Japanese team, which suffered consecutive injuries and incomplete lineups, remained unbeaten for three rounds and secured a spot in the knockout stage as the second place team in the group, becoming the first Asian team to advance to the knockout stage.

After three rounds of group stage matches, it is not individual talents but long-term accumulated achievements that support this Asian powerhouse to emerge from the group stage.

Amidst the wave of injuries, every battle cannot be considered a complete lineup

Before and after the start of this World Cup, the Japanese team has been plagued by injury issues.

Firstly, before the match, in the World Cup squad announced by the Japanese team, Kaoru Miyoshi was absent due to injury, which caused the Japanese team to lose a "left-wing sharp knife"; Due to a foot injury, the key player in the team's transition between offense and defense, Hiroshi Endo, has also withdrawn from the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Frontline striker Takumi Nano and other key players were also absent from the squad due to injuries.

After the official start of the game, in the first tough match against the Netherlands, Japanese attacker Kenyoung Kubo suffered a left knee injury and had no chance to play in the second two rounds. Japanese forward Shudou Machino missed the second round of the group stage against Tunisia due to a sudden high fever before the match.

The rotation of the main players from the front line, midfield to the wings has undoubtedly added insult to injury for the Japanese team.

According to statistics, the Japanese team has rotated 20 different players to appear in the first two group stage matches. The outside world even joked that 'the Japanese team can almost form two complete teams through these two games'.

Some comments suggest that the mass absence of core players will significantly reduce the team's combat effectiveness, making it difficult for the Japanese team to stabilize the situation in a group surrounded by strong opponents.

But in three consecutive matches, the Japanese team kept giving surprises and breaking doubts - they drew with the Netherlands in the first round, defeated Tunisia in the second round, and drew with Sweden in the last round, advancing smoothly with an unbeaten record. Even without the main players such as Endo Hang and Miyuki Kaoru, the 'Blue Warrior' still exerted such dominance.

Without superstars, the Japanese team with a 'European lineup' has a high minimum requirement

Compared to many teams led by superstars, one of the biggest advantages of the Japanese team in this tournament is the high minimum lineup and balanced overall strength, all of which cannot be separated from the "European travel system" that has been deeply cultivated for many years.

In the 26 man roster of the Japanese team, 23 players play in mainstream European leagues such as the English Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, and some players are firmly seated in the main lineup of powerful clubs, which shows the strength of the lineup.

Unlike some teams that have a gap in strength between their main and substitute teams, the Japanese team has the advantage of a fully adapted and seamlessly connected lineup.

Japanese defender Ayumi Seguchi, who played for Le Havre in Ligue 1 before the match, once said that the Japanese national team has a wealth of talent, and no matter how they match their defense, they can play with the same quality of cooperation, which is the advantage of the team.

Among the three opponents of the Japanese team in this group stage, the Swedish team has strong overall strength and balanced offense and defense, making them a traditional and old powerhouse in the World Cup. Swedish team coach Porter frankly stated that the biggest advantage of the Japanese team lies in their overall performance, both in attack and defense, they are very cohesive.

After years of overseas training, the Japanese team has overcome the stereotype of the traditional Asian technical flow being "quick and agile", and formed a football system that can be both rigid and flexible, and can adapt to different opponents. The current 'Blue Warrior' is no longer the same as before.

Beyond victory and defeat, the system is the long-term confidence

Some people say that the strength of the Japanese team today cannot be separated from diverse talent systems such as sports culture, professional leagues, youth training system, and overseas development. Of course, there is still a long period of patience.

The stable performance of the Japanese team is the result of decades of step-by-step accumulation, and its World Cup history is also a history of the team's systematic advancement.

In 1998, the Japanese team participated in the World Cup for the first time and lost all three matches. In the following nearly 30 years, Japanese football steadily advanced.

In the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Japan, trapped in the "group of death," defeated Spain and Germany for the fourth time in history to advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup, but unfortunately, they never made it to the quarter finals.

In this year's World Cup between the United States, Canada, and Mexico, several Asian teams such as Jordan and Qatar struggled in their group stage and lost the initiative to advance, while the Japanese team became one of the few stable forces in Asian football.

With the expansion of this World Cup, the number of participating teams has increased, the competitive landscape has become more diverse, and the Japanese team, which has abundant talent reserves and a mature lineup system, has ushered in another opportunity for breakthrough.

For today's' Blue Warriors', reaching the knockout stage is no longer the ultimate goal. This constantly evolving Asian powerhouse is striving towards the vision of "competing for the World Cup championship".