Japanese football confidently aims for "World Cup victory."

This is not an unfounded claim. Japan created an upset by defeating Germany and Spain 2-1 each at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Japan's challenge ended disappointingly with a loss to Croatia in a penalty shootout in the Round of 16. Croatia went on to win the bronze medal. It is undeniable that Japan's strength brought them close to earning a medal.

Former coach Paulo Bento led Korea to a 0-0 draw against Uruguay in their first match. After that, Korea faced Ghana and despite two goals from Cho Gue-sung, they lost 2-3, putting their chances of advancement at risk. In the final match against Portugal, Korea dramatically won 2-1, barely making it to the Round of 16. Ghana's loss to Uruguay at 0-2 allowed Korea to advance to the Round of 16.

Korea faced Brazil in the Round of 16, conceding three goals in the first half, ultimately losing 1-4 and ending their challenge. Given the nature of the defeat, no further turnaround could be expected.

Following a dark period under former coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Korea is advancing to its 11th consecutive World Cup under head coach Hong Myung-bo. This will be the first World Cup with 48 participating countries. Although the group draw has yet to be conducted, if Korea maintains its position in Pot 2, advancing to the knockout stage is anticipated. Korea aims to reach the Round of 16 this time as well.

Japan is different. They boldly declared their intention to win the World Cup. Since Japan is calmly executing its detailed plans, it does not come across as arrogance. While Korea boasts its best-ever squad with Son Heung-min, Lee Kang-in, and Kim Min-jae, their goal remains merely to reach the Round of 16.

The Japanese media "Cococara" reported, "Japan secured its qualification for the North and Central America World Cup faster than any other nation. After the conclusion of the Qatar World Cup, Japan seriously set its goal of 'winning' the World Cup and has spent the last three years working towards it. While no one considers Japan a front-runner for the title, the Japan Football Association is steadily implementing long-term plans."

Japan's best-ever World Cup performance is reaching the Round of 16. There are criticisms that it is excessive for Japan, which has never reached the quarterfinals, to aim for the championship. However, Japan's setting of long-term goals and systematically achieving sub-goals is something Korea should learn from.

Korea has vaguely set the goal of reaching the Round of 16 in the World Cup but lacks specific implementation plans. The media pointed out, "Comparing Japan and Korea is inevitable. Korea states its goal as simply reaching the Round of 16 in the World Cup, but it lacks a reflective attitude to analyze the problems in the process. In contrast, Japan is advancing step by step."

Korea is already being compared to Japan even before the World Cup begins. Korea will head to the United States for a tour in September, facing the U.S. national team on the 7th and the Mexican national team on the 10th. Japan will also have matches around the same time, facing Mexico on the 7th and the United States on the 10th. The performance of Korea and Japan will inevitably be directly compared.

Moreover, the Korea Football Association announced on the 12th that it will host a friendly match against Paraguay on October 14. The venue and time are yet to be determined. Korea last faced Paraguay on June 10, 2022, in Suwon, ending in a 2-2 draw, and they will meet again after three years. Korea currently leads the all-time record against Paraguay with two wins, four draws, and one loss.

Japan will also hold a friendly match against Paraguay at Panasonic Stadium on October 10. Paraguay will visit Japan before heading to Korea. This means Korea will inevitably be compared directly with Japan.

While the results of the friendly matches are important, what matters is what objectives are achieved and what lessons are learned from the games. If Korea is given the same conditions as Japan but falls short in results, it indicates issues with Korea's leadership and player development system.

[OSEN]