Japan has done well under Halolhodzic and they have every chance to progress from a group that includes Senegal, Colombia, Poland and Senegal. Although they are unlikely to win the tournament as expected, Sports Interaction lists the Japanese side as +23900.
Japan is a well-trained team with an experienced coach, but they will be unable to match the tactics and skill of Colombia and the physical presence Senegal. They have a chance against Poland if they can keep Robert Lewandowski, their star player, quiet.
Sports Interaction has named Japan as +180 outsiders for qualification from Group H. We predict that they will not progress in the tournament this year. We predict Colombia will be the winner of Group H, followed by Senegal. Japan and Poland will miss the Round of 16. They can do it for a price of -250.
If you don’t agree with Japan, and think they can win the tournament, your odds of making it to the semi-finals are very good: +1000 to reach the quarter-finals, and +2900 for the semi-finals. Even if they make it to the finals, we think they will face England or Belgium in Round of 16. This would significantly reduce their chances.
Japan is still a highly skilled and strategically savvy team and it will be fascinating to see them in action, regardless of how much you wager. We look forward to watching them in action.
Japan’s qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be its sixth consecutive appearance at this event. This is a remarkable feat for a country that lost 15-2 to the Philippines in their second international match. They have had mixed results at this tournament. They reached the Round of 16, but lost on the other two occasions.
Russia could have and should have been the Blue Samurai’s seventh consecutive World Cup start. Only two spots were granted to Asian confederations in 1994’s USA edition, with Japan leading the standings as the final round of fixtures approached. The Japanese were 2-1 ahead against Iraq and had to hold onto their lead for the final round of fixtures to qualify for their first ever World Cup. South Korea was able to draw at their expense, but Japan failed to qualify.
Last Updated on October 2, 2021
