The Strengths of Japan According to Indonesian National Team Coach Patrick Kluivert

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia National Team Coach Patrick Kluivert revealed Japan's main strengths in the resounding 6-0 victory in the closing match of the third round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers at Suita City Stadium, Osaka Prefecture, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. According to him, Japan possesses strength in individual abilities and collective playing.

Japanese players are very skilled in combining these strengths. "I think that is the main key to the Japanese team. They have a lot of movement, they know where to move at the right time. They have a fantastic pressing game. So collectively, I think they know what to do," Kluivert said in a press conference after the match.

Japan did not field their best players such as Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma, Hidemasa Morita, and Ritsu Doan. However, Japan remained superior against Indonesia. After not winning in their last two matches, Japan closed the third round of the qualifying phase sweetly and with beautiful play in front of their own supporters.

Six goals from Japan were scored by two goals from Daichi Kamada, and one goal each from Takefusa Kubo, Ryoya Morishita, Shuto Machino, and Mao Hosoya. Not only did they win, but Japan also dominated. Sofascore recorded that they had 71 percent ball possession, released a total of 22 shots, 10 of which were significant opportunities.

Japan's dominance rendered Indonesia unable to do anything during the 90-minute match, only possessing the ball 29 percent of the time and without making a single shot. This result was even worse than Indonesia's first meeting with Japan, who fielded their best squad at Gelora Bung Karno Main Stadium in Jakarta in November 2024.

In Jakarta, Indonesia lost 0-4. In terms of gameplay, the Garuda squad also performed better and showed more aggression by recording eight shots, two of which were significant opportunities. "They pressed very well, also in ball possession. They moved the ball very fast. So, it's very difficult to defend," Kluivert said about the strengths of Hajime Moriyasu's team.

With these strengths, Kluivert said that Japan will cause many difficulties for their opponents in the 2026 World Cup. "And I think many countries will have a lot of difficulty playing against Japan," he said.

Japan secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup after defeating Bahrain in March. This marks the eighth qualification for the Blue Samurai in the biggest football tournament since their debut in 1998. Their captain, Wataru Endo, targets Japan to become the champion of the tournament played next year in the United States, Mexico, and Canada after already reaching the round of 16 four times.

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