Japan is scarier than Korea, 07 Catastrophe Trauma China aims to draw defense all-in tactical change

Jul 10, 2025

Japan is scarier than Korea, 07 Catastrophe Trauma China aims to draw defense all-in tactical change



China is afraid of another disaster in the match against Japan.

The Chinese soccer A team will play the second leg of the 2025 East Asian Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Championship (hereinafter referred to as the East Asian Cup) against the Japanese soccer A team at Mir Stadium in Yongin on the 12th. China is in third place after losing 0-3 to South Korea.

From China's point of view, Japan will be the scarier team than Korea. China has never won a match against Japan in the 21st century. He has six draws and 11 losses in 17 matches he has encountered in the 21st century. If it is narrowed down to the last seven games, it will have one draw and six losses.




China has already been humiliated by Japan several times in 2024. In the third qualifying round for the 2026 World Cup in North Korea and the U.S., he went away to Japan and suffered a 0-7 disaster. It was China's worst defeat by Japan. China lost to Japan 1-3 at home, showing an incredible result of a combined performance of 1-10 in two games.
Japan is scarier than Korea, 07 Catastrophe Trauma China aims to draw defense all-in tactical change
In the match against Korea, China's interim coach Dejan Zhurjevic showed his intention to face South Korea through the four-hundred formation system, but the result was disastrous. He was unilaterally beaten from the start to the end of the game and lost three goals to South Korea. The next opponent, Japan, made a 5-0 game in the first half against Hong Kong, showing more explosive firepower than South Korea.

As a result, China seems to be focusing on increasing the number of defenders and not being catastrophic in the match against Japan. Chinese media Sohu said on the 9th that the Chinese national team, which lost to South Korea in the first round of the East Asian Cup, conducted a full training session for the first time since the game. In terms of player composition, the Chinese national team seems to have adjusted from the existing 4-4-2 formation to 5-4-1 tactics. This means that when he faces Japan, the favorite to win the East Asian Cup, he is likely to change to five back to strengthen his defense in the next match,' he said.

Once you don't defend, you'll get a chance against Japan.
Japan is scarier than Korea, 07 Catastrophe Trauma China aims to draw defense all-in tactical change
The national soccer team played its first match against China at Yongin Mir Stadium on the 7th. Coach Dejan Zhurjevic of the Chinese national team. Yongin = Reporter Song Jeong-heon @sportschosun.com/2025.07.07/
It is expected to use a strategy to prevent runs as much as possible and bring in even one point. Sohu Dotcom also said 'Japan defeated Hong Kong 6-1 in the first round despite sending a third-tier squad to this tournament. 'China's primary goal in the match against Japan, which has a sharp offense, is to reduce the number of runs, and the goal is to win at least one point through counterattacks while focusing on defense.'"

However, it is questionable whether China will be able to block Japan's strength by increasing the number of defenders like this. Japan selected a large number of players with no A-match experience at this tournament, but they looked more organized than expected. It is true that China's defensive organization, which has changed its coach and its squad, is not expected to control Japan's offense well.








This article was translated by Naver AI translator.