Japan¡¯s 4-0 win over Tunisia on Saturday has left Hajime Moriyasu¡¯s side in a strong position to reach the knockout stage at the World Cup. Daichi Kamada¡¯s early strike, Ayase Ueda¡¯s brace and Junya Ito¡¯s cool-headed finish allowed Moriyasu to bring on several substitutes in the final 20 minutes once the result was secured.
The win leaves the Samurai Blue with four points and a plus-4 goal difference, second behind the Netherlands in Group F only on goals scored following the Dutch¡¯s emphatic 5-1 dismantling of Sweden. Tunisia is already out after losing its first two games, while Sweden has three points and still stands a reasonable chance of qualifying for the next stage.
The caliber of opposition faced should give Japan pause before getting too excited ¡ª Tunisia had just five days with new head coach Herve Renard after firing his predecessor in the aftermath of a 5-1 loss to Sweden. But Japan controlled the game from the start and relentlessly ran up the scoreline, knowing it could prove to be important in the Group F standings.
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