Japan delivered a perfect performance against China to claim the U-23 Asian Cup title. More shocking was that Japan remained completely unshaken despite making extensive rotations in the final. Compared with the lineup against Korea, it was practically a different team, but the result was a 4-0 rout. It was a match that showcased the depth and system of Japanese football in full.
Japan beat China 4-0 in the final of the 2026 AFC U-23 Asian Cup at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on the 25th (Korea time) to lift the trophy. With this, Japan won its third overall title following 2016 and 2024, and set the record as the first team in the tournament's history to win back-to-back titles.
What drew as much attention as the final victory was coach Oiwa's choices. The starting lineup in the final was clearly different from the one that played in the semifinals against Korea just days earlier. Japan kept the defensive line of Koizumi Kaito, Nagano Shuto, Ichihara Rion, Umeki Ray, and goalkeeper Araki Rui, but made as many as four changes in midfield and attack. In an important final, he boldly put forward new faces.
Gume Haruta, Shimamoto Yudai, Ishibashi Sena, and Michiwaki Yutaka, who started against Korea, were absent from the final's starting lineup. Instead, Ozeki Yuto, Furuya Shusuke, Yokoyama Yumeki, and the mixed-heritage forward Brian Enwadik started the match.
The change up front was especially decisive. Instead of Michiwaki, who missed several clear chances against Korea, Enwadik—who had briefly appeared as a substitute in the second half—was deployed as the lone striker in the final. Enwadik constantly moved up front, troubling China's defensive line and raising the tempo of Japan's attack.
What hurt more was that the players who decided the result in the final had not started in the Korea match. Ozeki Yuto, who scored the opener in the 12th minute, and Furuya Shusuke, who created that goal, were not in the starting lineup against Korea. Ozeki had been a bench player against Korea but shone conspicuously on the final stage.
Inevitably, attention turns to Korea. Korea lost without even creating a proper shot on target against a Japan lineup that was missing some first-choice players, essentially a 1.5-team. By contrast, Japan changed many members for the final without losing organizational cohesion and instead unleashed firepower to crush China. It was a moment when the gap was starkly revealed on the same stage of the same tournament.
Japan competed in this tournament with a focus on U-21 players looking ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Their average age was two years younger than Korea's. Even so, Japan boldly rotated this young squad, and as a result defeated Korea and China in succession to claim the title.
The final was even more ruthless. In the 12th minute, Ozeki Yuto's shot, following a cut-back from Furuya Shusuke, deflected off a Chinese defender and became the opener. It was the moment the Chinese goal, which had held firm for 480 minutes, was breached. Riding the momentum, Japan made it 2-0 in the 20th minute with a long-range shot from Ogura Kosei, effectively deciding the match early.
Japan's attack did not stop in the second half. Early in the second half, Sato Ryunosuke converted a penalty to extend the lead, and Ogura added another goal to complete the 4-0 rout. Such a one-sided scoreline on a final stage was not just a victory but proof of a class difference.
Japan did not collapse after changing its player composition; it became stronger. It showed that the reason for the title was the system, not one or two stars. By contrast, Korea will find it hard to avoid calls for deeper reflection and review after the defeat to Japan.
[Photo] Provided by Korea Football Association (KFA).
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