The first two quarterfinal matches of the men’s football at the Paris 2024 Olympics are highly anticipated on August 2, featuring Morocco vs. USA and Spain vs. Japan.
Japan is undefeated, but Spain is cunning
The Japanese Olympic team reached the quarterfinals with three wins in Group D (1-0 victories over Israel and Zambia, and a 5-0 win against Paraguay). Meanwhile, Spain only managed to finish second in Group C after unexpectedly losing 1-2 to Egypt in their final group match.
Japanese football teams always play with full intensity, which can also be a weakness that Spain can exploit. In the 2023 World Cup, the Japanese women’s team won decisively in the group stage, including a 4-0 win over Spain, but was halted by Sweden in the round of 16. Similarly, in the 2022 World Cup, the Japanese men’s team defeated both Germany and Spain in the group stage but lost to Croatia in the first knockout round.
Japanese teams, both men and women, maintain the philosophy of playing with all their strength, forming a highly combative collective. However, in football, this approach can be easily countered if the opponent studies and anticipates their moves.
Football requires hiding tactics, revealing fewer weaknesses, and concealing strengths. Teams that perform too impressively in the group stage often get eliminated early in the knockout stage because they have exposed all their strengths and weaknesses for their opponents to exploit.
Spanish football is very cunning, with each player having excellent quality. Japanese players may have impressive stamina and endurance, but Spain matches them in strength and endurance and has much more skill and craftiness, given their pedigree as the Euro 2024 champions.
Both teams play similarly, with Spain embodying the original Tiki-taka style, which is experiencing a strong revival, while Japan plays a version of Tiki-taka adapted to the East. Despite this similarity, Japan is at a lower level, making it difficult for them to trap Spain.
Coach Santiago Denia, a former player, adheres to Spain’s traditional Tiki-taka style and has an opportunity to showcase this. He has only called one player over 23 years old, Abel Ruiz, to the Spanish Olympic team, not relying on the Euro 2024-winning duo of Yamal (17 years old) and Nico Williams (22 years old). Yet, Spain is an extremely strong team and a heavyweight contender for the gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Japan, meanwhile, is the reigning U-23 Asian champion, having defeated U-23 Uzbekistan 1-0 in the final in May in Qatar. Coach Go Oiwa acknowledges that his team faces their toughest and most challenging opponent in the first knockout round. However, Japan has no choice but to have each individual perform beyond their capabilities.
Facing championship contender Spain, Coach Go Oiwa will be without midfielder Sota Kawasaki (torn muscle), while Spain has no injuries.
It’s very challenging for Japan and Coach Go Oiwa. If Japan continues to play carefree and “give it their all,” they may fall into Spain’s trap. If they try to play Tiki-taka, they cannot match the Spaniards.
Prediction: Spain wins 2-0.
Morocco has a clear path ahead?
The first quarterfinal match between Morocco and the USA is also highly anticipated. The Moroccan Olympic team has a high fighting spirit, much like the Moroccan national team demonstrated at the 2022 World Cup (reaching the semifinals) by defeating Portugal and Spain in the knockout rounds.
Over-23 stars are the core of this young North African team, with forward Soufiane Rahimi leading the attack and defender Achraf Hakimi solidly commanding the defense.
In their opening match, they defeated championship contender Argentina 2-1, though Morocco showed a lack of experience at crucial moments. In the knockout rounds, they need to overcome this shortcoming as there is no room for mistakes or corrections. Morocco is expected to play more prudently and wisely.
The USA Olympic team won their three group stage matches, beating Guinea 3-0, New Zealand 4-1, and losing 0-3 to France. This performance is typical of the USA, winning easily against weaker teams but struggling against experienced teams like France.
Coach Marko Mitrovic, 46, had a distinguished career as a player in Yugoslavia before moving to the USA. He has coached the U-19 and now the U-23 USA teams. As a professional player and a math graduate from Belgrade University, Mitrovic is fluent in four languages: English, Spanish, Serbian, and Russian. He became the U-23 USA coach in September 2023 to prepare for the Olympics.
The young USA team lacks practicality, while Morocco’s over-23 stars give them an edge, making Morocco more likely to progress further than the USA.