Before the 2023 Asian Cup, Zion Suzuki had only played 4 times for the Japanese national team. He was also the youngest player of the "Blue Samurai" participating in the tournament in Qatar. However, the goalkeeper born in 2002 was surprisingly chosen by coach Moriyasu to start all 5 matches. Throughout the tournament, the goalkeeper who plays for Sint Truiden (Belgium) conceded 8 goals and did not keep a clean sheet once. Notably, in the first group stage match against the Vietnamese team (January 14), Zion Suzuki had to pick the ball out of the net twice from goals by Dinh Bac and Tuan Hai.
Tuan Hai (right cover) is the player who helped the Vietnamese team score the second goal against Japan at the 2023 Asian Cup.
After the 2023 Asian Cup, he sat down to review his own performance. The 22-year-old goalkeeper said the second goal he conceded in the match against Vietnam became an obsession. Zion Suzuki shared: “The mistakes I made in the match against Vietnam were really haunting and unforgettable. I had to analyze the situation that led to the goal and spent a lot of time watching it over and over again.
First, I decided to punch the ball because I thought the opponent would make a cross. However, I stepped too high, which was a mistake. Seeing that, I quickly adjusted my position and shifted my weight when the opponent made the first shot. But the second mistake came when I tried to catch the ball under pressure from the opponent players but used the wrong technique. As a result, the opponent striker (Tuan Hai) was too fast and successfully shot the rebound.
Although it was just a small mistake, I had to concede the second goal, at that time Japan was losing 2-1 to Vietnam. I was under a lot of pressure after the match with Vietnam, luckily everything went smoothly and the Japanese team won 4-2".
Zion Suzuki said the match against the Vietnamese team was one of his unforgettable memories.
After an unsatisfactory performance in the opening match against Vietnam, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki once again conceded two goals in the match against Iraq in the second round. At the same time, the Japanese team suffered a 1-2 defeat - the first defeat of the Japanese team in 42 years against Iraq. Zion Suzuki admitted that he was very afraid of being removed from the starting lineup by coach Moriyasu.
"In the meeting before the match against the Vietnamese team, I was informed that I would be the starting goalkeeper. I always told myself that I would try my best and show my best. Besides me, the Japanese team has Maekawa and Nozawa and both are extremely talented. After the disappointing performance in the opening match and the second match, I was very afraid that I would no longer be the starting goalkeeper. Luckily, the Japanese coach told me that this was also an experience, so keep trying and don't back down.
“Goalkeepers are a position where form matters a lot. Performance on the pitch can also change the outcome. This puts me in a constant state of panic. I constantly make adjustments after each game and always think about whether I am good enough,” added Zion Suzuki.
Zion Suzuki was really nervous after the first two matches in the group stage.
At the end of the interview, Zion Suzuki also said that he always experienced discrimination and criticism every time the Japanese team conceded a goal. Zion Suzuki said: “As the goalkeeper of the Japanese team, I am expected to perform at a high level. I also accept criticism and discrimination every time the team concedes a goal. There are many athletes with the same background as me and I understand how they feel every time they play poorly. There are not just two or three discriminatory comments posted on social media, the content is so bad that it cannot be expressed in words.
Football is a sport, so it is natural to make mistakes. At the Asian Cup, I turned a blind eye. But now, I think I need to share this to help children and Japanese athletes with the same background as me."
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