[Full Text] Close Friend Teruo Iwamoto Reveals: “The LINE Message Coach Hajime Moriyasu Sent Me Before the World Cup Match Against Brazil”

Progress, but… Still No Match for the World’s Best

“To be honest, I thought we could win. At the end of the first half, I even called a Japanese friend at NRG Stadium (in Houston, U.S.) and said, ‘If we score a second goal, it’s all over.’ But in the second half, before we knew it, we were being pushed back further and further. I don’t think the Japanese national team in recent years has ever been forced to drop back that far as a whole.Japan barely had a single shot on goal in the second half, right? There were some good moments, but we also saw our limits. That’s my take on the match against Brazil.”

Former Japan national team midfielder Teruo Iwamoto (54) watched all four matches of Moriyasu’s Japan team at the CONCACAF World Cup on site.

“I’d say their group stage performance was passable. Many people thought the opening match against the Netherlands would be tough, but they managed to pull off a dramatic draw. When they won 4-0 against Tunisia, everyone must have been dreaming. There’s never been a World Cup match where the Japanese national team dominated their opponent to that extent.”

However, the Japanese national team once again lost in their first knockout-round match. Their run ended in the Round of 32—a worse result than in the previous two tournaments. Considering the high expectations for a team that was even hailed as the “strongest in history,” it was a disappointing outcome.

“The first half was all Japan’s pace. When Sano (Kaishu, 25) scored to give us the lead, the stands really erupted. But, as expected, the World Cup isn’t a walk in the park. Brazil changed their approach in the second half.”

Brazil’s star player, Vinícius (26), who had played more centrally in the first half, moved out wide in the second half to stretch the field, forcing Japan’s two wingbacks deeper.

“They used diagonal passes and kept sending crosses into Japan’s penalty area. Japan struggles when the ball is played into the box that way. The equalizing goal came from a diagonal cross after they pushed deep down the flank.Come to think of it, we also lost in a comeback defeat to Belgium at the 2018 World Cup in Russia due to plays down the flanks, didn’t we? So, in a sense, this has once again exposed Japan’s persistent weakness. There’s no doubt that Japan is improving, but the barrier to the world’s best is still very high.”

“It was Poichi as usual.”

Mr. Iwamoto witnessed the thickness of that wall from the stands once again, just as he did at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. What’s more, he wasn’t there for work. He has consistently paid for his own trips to watch World Cup matches in person.For this tournament, the soaring cost of tickets, combined with the weak yen and local inflation, made the high cost of attending a major talking point.

“I had to double-check my credit card statement (laughs). Part of it was because I was covering some of my travel companion’s expenses, but even so, the total was shockingly high. I looked for the cheapest hotel I could find and cooked my own meals in a room with a kitchen.”

Why go to such lengths to attend the World Cup?One major reason is the presence of Head Coach Hajime Moriyasu (57). The two first met in ’94. They grew close from the very day Mr. Iwamoto, then 21, was first selected for the Japanese national team, and later became teammates at Kyoto Purple Sanga (now Kyoto Sanga) and Vegalta Sendai.

Affectionately, Iwamoto calls Coach Moriyasu—who is four years his senior—“Poichi-san.”

“Of course, there are things you can’t understand unless you see them in person, and it’s a learning experience. But the real reason I’m going to the World Cup is to cheer on Poichi-san. Poichi-san and I played in similar positions. I was on the left wing, and Poichi-san was the defensive midfielder right behind me. To put it simply, he was covering my back (laughs).I was the type who didn’t do much defending and preferred to stay up front, so he’d tell me things like, ‘You should tuck in a bit more,’ and his advice was always spot-on.”

The last time I saw him before the World Cup was on May 22, right before the final domestic training camp, and “he was his usual self,” Mr. Iwamoto laughs.

“Even when I’d say something presumptuous like, ‘I bet we’ll beat the Netherlands and Tunisia and draw with Sweden,’ he’d just respond, ‘Two wins and one draw, huh? That’d be nice,’ in that kind of way (laughs).We usually meet about once a month and talk for two or three hours, and most of it is about soccer. We sometimes talk about the national team, but he absolutely never leaks any inside information. He’s very strict about that.”

I made a point of not contacting him during the tournament. However, there was one memorable exchange.

“Poichi looked his best in the matches against the Netherlands and Tunisia, but against Sweden, he wore a jacket and struggled in the final stretch. So, in a column for a sports magazine, I wrote something like, ‘I hope he takes off his jacket for the match against Brazil.’Then I got a LINE message from him saying, ‘I’ll take off my jacket and play in tomorrow’s match against Brazil.’ And sure enough, he was in his vest for that game. No matter how famous he gets, he hasn’t changed a bit. His hairstyle’s always the same, too. Not a single gray hair in sight (laughs).
During the eight years since he took over as national team coach, there were times when he didn’t get the results he wanted and was heavily criticized, right? Since he knows I work as a sports commentator, Poichi tells me, “If it helps Teru’s job, go ahead and criticize me without holding back.” Even though he must want allies on his side, he thinks from the other person’s perspective.Poichi also said, “If stepping down would make the Japanese national team stronger, I’d step aside at any time.” He’s always thinking about the future of Japanese soccer and what the national team needs, rather than himself. It’s precisely because he’s free of distractions that he remains unshaken no matter how much criticism he faces, and that’s probably why his words resonate with the star players succeeding overseas, isn’t it?”

Regarding Coach Moriyasu, it was reported after the tournament that the Japan Football Association had approached him about continuing on a short-term contract. The proposal is for him to remain in charge until the Asian Cup, which kicks off next January.

“I don’t see any problem with him staying on until the next World Cup. If he steps down, people will start asking, ‘So who’s next?’ But someone who knows the current Japanese national team better than Poichi-san, who can unite the players, and who can handle that level of pressure—you won’t find someone like that easily.”

He maintains a close relationship without overstepping. While he has the affection of a friend, he also observes the situation objectively as a former national team player. Mr. Iwamoto, who traveled overseas at his own expense to watch “Moriyasu Japan” compete from the stands, spoke with words that reflected both his trust in Coach Moriyasu and the realistic perspective of a former national team player who understands the challenges of competing on the world stage.

From the July 31, 2026 issue of *FRIDAY*