While Korea burns with anxiety... Japan, with ample ease, even created a 'great record' for 40-year-old Nagatomo.

*This content was translated by AI.

The Japanese national football team has advanced to the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA North American World Cup. This is the first time an Asian team has qualified. Regardless of Korea's hope for a decisive Japanese victory to boost its own chances of reaching the Round of 32, Japan showed 'ease' by even creating a great record for veteran Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), born in 1986.

Under coach Hajime Moriyasu, Japan drew 1-1 with Sweden in the Group F third match of the tournament held at the Dallas Stadium in the United States on the 26th (Korea time). With this draw, Japan recorded 5 points (1 win, 2 draws), finishing second in the group behind the Netherlands (7 points) and advancing to the Round of 32. Their Round of 32 opponent will be Brazil, the top team in Group C.

This match between Japan and Sweden also drew significant attention in Korea. The day before, the Korean team, led by coach Hong Myung-bo, suffered a shocking defeat against South Africa after a poor performance, dropping to third place in the group. Korea now faces a situation where it must compete for one of the eight best third-place teams among the 12th groups to advance to the Round of 32. Sweden, Japan's opponent, was also Korea's direct competitor. To surpass Sweden in the race for third place, Japan needed to win its match against Sweden by a margin of two goals or more.

In fact, Japan seized the initiative from the start of the match and unsettled Sweden. In the 11th minute of the second half, Daizen Maeda (Celtic FC) scored the opening goal, breaking the balance. However, Sweden equalized just six minutes later, restoring the balance. For Korea, it was necessary to hope that Japan would launch another offensive and widen the score gap. Japan, too, needed a higher goal difference to overtake the Netherlands and finish first in the group, as finishing second would mean meeting Brazil in the Round of 32.

However, as time passed, Japan began to prioritize stability. At the same time, news spread that the Netherlands had pulled away from Tunisia with a 3-1 victory, making it realistically difficult to overtake the Netherlands. Eventually, Japan shifted its focus to defense. The flow was to concentrate on advancing directly to the Round of 32 as the second-place team in the group via a 1-1 draw.

At one point, even a surprise substitution was made in the 30th minute of the second half. Key wingback Keito Nakamura (Reims) was taken off, and Yuto Nagatomo, born in 1986, was brought on as a substitute. This was a bold move by coach Moriyasu, even though Japan's advancement to the Round of 32 had not yet been officially confirmed. It also meant that Japan had ample ease.

With this appearance, Nagatomo set various great records. He became the first player from Japan, and indeed from Asia, to appear in five consecutive World Cups. He also set the record for the oldest Asian player to appear in a World Cup at the age of 39 years and 293 days. A match that Korea watched anxiously became a stage for a legendary player's great record from the perspective of Japanese football.

After Nagatomo was substituted in, Japan placed even more emphasis on defense. Contrary to Korea's hope for a decisive Japanese victory by a two-goal margin or more, in the final moments of stoppage time in the second half, Japan showed ease by circulating the ball from the back instead of launching reckless attacks. There was no reversal. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Japan advanced to the Round of 32 as the second-place team in the group, and at the same time, Nagatomo's great record was also created. Sweden also secured its advancement to the Round of 32 by ensuring a ranking of at least eighth among the third-place teams in each group. On the other hand, only Korea, which watched the match between the two teams anxiously, was left with a bitter game. It was also a humiliating scene stemming from the shocking defeat of Hong Myung-bo's team against South Africa the day before.

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*This content was translated by AI.