Japan also has ‘Lee Kang-in’… Barcelona’s ‘No.10’ left-footed specialist on alert
Watch out for Japan’s Jun Nishikawa’s (21-Sagan Dos) left foot.
The South Korea U-24 football team, led by Hwang Sun-hong, will face Japan in the final match of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games on Sunday at the Huanglong Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China.
It’s the final gateway to the title. After breezing through the qualifiers with three straight wins, Huang Sunhong continued to roll in the tournament. She defeated Kyrgyzstan 5-1 in the round of 16 and then beat hosts China 2-0 in the quarterfinals. They faced a tough Uzbekistan team in the quarterfinals, but a multi-goal performance from Jung Woo-young earned them a valuable 2-1 victory to reach the final.
Japan’s momentum is also strong. They thrashed Myanmar 7-0 in the round of 16 and faced a tricky North Korea in the quarterfinals, but the Japanese came from behind to beat the DPRK 2-1 and upset upset victor Hong Kong 4-0 in the quarterfinals to eliminate Iran.
Japan included a number of young players in this tournament. This is in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The plan is to use the Asian Games as a testing ground and take players who have proven themselves to Paris.
Among the many promising players, Hwang should be especially wary of Nishikawa.
Nishikawa is a left-footed technician. He usually plays as an attacking midfielder, leading the attack with his creative passing and kicking abilities from the center of the field. He also creates space for his teammates with clever moves, a style similar to Hwang’s Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain).
Nishikawa is also similar in that he is left-footed and his strengths are in kicking and passing, and he has been in the spotlight since childhood. Nishikawa caught the attention of Barcelona in 2020, when he was 17 years old. Leipzig also took notice of Nishika
Nishikawa has been on loan at Sagan Dos from Sereo Osaka this season and has been a standout performer. At the tournament, he recorded an assist with a sharp left-footed cross in the first group game against Qatar.
Japan rotated their lineup against Hong Kong, showing confidence in their chances of reaching the final. Nishikawa prepared for the final with a full rest. With his ability to break down defenses at a moment’s notice and his fitness for the final, he is someone to keep an eye on.
wa while he was playing for Japan’s U-17 national team 레고토토.