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September 4, 2024

Football: Junya Ito is back and prepared to lead Japan to another World Cup

As the 27-man Samurai Blue team prepared for the forthcoming final round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, which begins at home against China on Thursday, Japan winger Junya Ito was eager to make his national team comeback.

The 31-year-old Reims player was included in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad last week for the first time since accusations forced him to withdraw from the Asian Cup in February and prosecutors decided not to charge him with nonconsensual sexual acts.

In their most recent squad announcement, the Japan Football Association stated that Ito’s recall had nothing to do with his lack of indictment.

“I’m really happy and want to contribute to the team,” Ito said after training with his teammates on Tuesday.

“I was relieved. I understand that until this was resolved there would have been some difficulties (calling me up).”

It filed a criminal complaint on August 1 against five people, including two women and an editor of the weekly Shukan Shincho, for alleged defamation.

Prosecutors decided on August 9 not to indict Ito in connection with a criminal complaint about the alleged June incident involving the women due to a lack of evidence.

Ito commended manager Moriyasu for maintaining communication with him despite his lack of selection.

“He’s been keeping in touch, telling me each time that ‘I’m not picking you this time because I want to protect you.’ I understood it, too,” Ito said.

Japan hopes to avoid the terrible start, which looks to the 2022 World Cup final routers, where they lost two of the first three games, including the opening match, and will benefit from the speedster’s return.

It saved his nation at that time by scoring goals in four consecutive games, putting his team back on track.

“We made it difficult for ourselves (last time). We’ll look to win soundly from the first game this time and begin the campaign in good form,” Ito said.

Football Recap: Maeda and Furuhashi Spark Celtic’s 3-0 Triumph over Rangers in an Electrifying Old Firm Derby

Japanese forwards Daizen Maeda and Kyogo Furuhashi each netted their first goals of the season, powering Celtic to a dominant 3-0 victory over their fierce rivals, Rangers, in a thrilling Scottish Premiership clash on Sunday. The Old Firm derby, as it is famously known, is one of the most intense and highly anticipated matches in Scottish football, pitting the two biggest clubs in the country against each other. Playing before a roaring crowd of over 59,000 fans at Celtic Park, Maeda ignited the atmosphere with a clinical close-range finish off Alistair Johnston’s well-timed cross, putting Celtic ahead in the 17th minute of this intense derby.

Furuhashi, notably left out of Hajime Moriyasu’s Japan squad for the upcoming Asian World Cup qualifiers, initially had an effort ruled offside but made no mistake later on. With Celtic’s swift recovery in midfield, Furuhashi found his moment, blasting a precise strike from outside the box in the 40th minute, doubling Celtic’s lead and sending fans into a frenzy.

Maeda continued to dazzle as he later set up Callum McGregor, who sealed the contest with a powerful long-range strike in the 75th minute, showcasing Celtic’s strength. Maeda’s assist was a testament to the team’s coordination and his own ability to create scoring opportunities. The resounding win gave Celtic a five-point lead over their Glasgow rivals just four games into the season, a promising start for the Hoops.

Meanwhile, across the channel in France, Japanese winger Junya Ito made headlines, scoring his first Ligue 1 goal of the season for Reims in their 2-1 victory over Rennes. This added to the impressive performances by Japanese players on European stages this weekend.

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