Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said he will take time to reflect on his position after the team exited the World Cup in the last 32. The Samurai Blue finished second in their group before losing to Brazil.
Japan led Brazil through Kaishu Sano’s goal in the 29th minute but conceded an equalizer from Casemiro and a 95th-minute winner by Gabriel Martinelli. The result ended their campaign one round short of the last 16.
Moriyasu has been in charge since July 2018. He guided the side to the 2019 Asian Cup final and a group win at the 2022 World Cup that included victories over Germany and Spain.
At a press conference he stated: “I think I’ll take a bit of a break now and then I’ll need to properly reflect on the tournament. That’s all that’s been decided so far.”
He added that Japanese soccer is capable of challenging for the world title if current growth continues.