Japan’s focus on 2020 Olympics

are only using the ongoing Asian Games to prepare for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Although, the Asian Games is an Under-23 event, Japan are represented by their Under-21 team, comprising mostly university players. Among the top players in the team are Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo’s Koji Miyoshi and Gamba Osaka’s Ryo Hatsuse.

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, who is also the senior team trainer, said he is using the Asian Games to gauge his Under-21 players as the main target is the Olympics.

Despite being a young team, Japan have qualified for the last16 as runners-up of Group D and they will play Malaysia at the Patriot Chandrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi on Friday.

Moriyasu, however, was disappointed with the 1-0 defeat to Vietnam in last weekend’s final group match.

“We would have topped the group had we won. My players need to learn from the defeat and do better in the knockout stages,” said Moriyasu.

For the record, Japan have won the Asian Games gold medal only once, achieved at the 2010 Guangzhou edition.