As the men’s football tournament at the Paris Olympics kicked off on Wednesday, two of Asia’s hopefuls got their campaigns up and running.
And while they may have come in contrasting fashion, Japan and Iraq would both issue statements of their intent in victory.
The third of the continent’s representation had already produced a creditable display earlier on Wednesday even in defeat, as Uzbekistan suffered a battling 2-1 loss at the hands of gold medal contenders Spain.
But the day would end on a high for Asian football with Japan showing they too could be a medal hopeful, while Iraq proved they are not a team that are just happy to be here.
In a display oozing confidence and panache, Japan put Paraguay to the sword in an emphatic 5-0 Group D rout even if they were aided by their opponents playing with a numerical deficit from the 25th minute after Wilder Viera was shown a straight red for a stamping challenge on an opponent’s ankle.
By that time, the Samurai Blue were already ahead courtesy of a well-worked team goal finished off by Shunsuke Mito and, while they never looked in real danger of relinquishing their advantage, there was always an air of uneasiness over the slender lead until they decided to turn on the style as the match entered its closing stages.
Another methodical but expansive passing routine would lead to Mito heading home his second in the 63rd minute before Rihito Yamamoto fired home one from the edge of the box six minutes later.
Substitute Shota Fujio would then complete the emphatic win with a clinical brace in the final nine minutes to cap off a five-star display from the Japanese.
Japan are no strangers to going far in Olympic men’s football. A bronze medallist as far back as 1968, they have had to endure recent heartbreak with fourth-place finishes in both 2012 and on home soil at the 2020 edition.
The Samurai Blue were always going to be Asia’s best bet of a podium finish yet eyebrows were raised given they were the only side who opted against utilising their quota of three overage players.
What looked a bold strategy now seems just simple confidence in the talent at their disposal.
Mito and Koki Saito, teammates in the Eredivisie at Sparta Rotterdam, were both absent from the triumphant AFC U-23 Asian Cup campaign that earned Japan’s Olympic berth but have now immediately added an extra dimension in the final third.
It also means that other bright prospects like Fujio and Ryotaro Araki were, on Wednesday at least, able to be kept as excellent reserve options — with the former showing just how dangerous he could be as an impact player off the bench.
In a group — also consisting of Mali and Israel — that they already might have been expecting to win, Japan could just be dreaming even bigger after a dominant opening display.
Then, there is Iraq, returning to the Olympic stage after missing out on the Tokyo Games.
As the third and final team to book their ticket to Paris at the U-23 Asian Cup, expectations are arguably the most tempered for the Iraqis.
It certainly looked as though they would be joining Uzbekistan as opening-day losers when they fell behind to Ukraine in Group B in the 53rd minute when Valentyn Rubchynskyi netted on the rebound from a set-piece situation — until they pulled off a spirited come-from-behind 2-1 win.
The Iraqis did muster a near-immediate response when overage star Aymen Hussein equalised from the spot with an expertly-taken penalty four minutes later, before rising talent Ali Jasim would complete the fightback with a fine solo effort with 15 minutes remaining.
Ordinarily, it might have been expected that Iraq would buckle after falling behind — especially after being largely dominated by Ukraine in the opening 45 as well.
Instead of going into their shells, they showed resolve to force their way back into the contest but then also the ability to pull off the victory against their more-fancied European opponents.
Tougher tests await Iraq. Still, based on Morocco‘s shock win over Argentina earlier on Wednesday — a game which ended in dramatic fashion after a pitch invasion led to a two-hour delay before the South American team’s stunning 116th-minute equaliser was eventually announced as disallowed upon VAR review — upsets are very much on the cards.
The positive thing for Iraq is that they look up for the challenge.
And for Asian football, with one team shaping up as potential medal fancy while the other two do not look like they will go away without a fight, the Paris Games are already promising plenty.
