via GRAPHIC PLUS — In this 1xBet review, you’ll find out whom the Asian national teams are set to face, and what shape they’re in ahead of the No. 1 football tournament.
May 31, Japan vs Iceland
The two teams have met only twice in the 21st century, with Japan winning both matches. In 2004, the Samurai Blue triumphed 3-2, and in 2012, they secured a more convincing 3-1 victory.
Japan also have an excellent chance of achieving a positive result in the upcoming game. They are much higher than the Vikings in the FIFA rankings – 18th place compared to 75th. Besides, the European side failed to qualify for the world’s premier tournament. In their qualifying group, they finished ahead of only Azerbaijan, letting Ukraine and France take the top spots.
At the same time, the Asian team made it to the global tournament. In the second qualifying round, they earned 18 out of a possible 18 points, scoring 24 goals and conceding none. In the next round, Japan topped a group comprising Australia, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain.
Even after the qualifiers, the Samurai Blue have been very solid. In their spring friendlies, they first beat Scotland (1-0) and then, with the same score, defeated one of the main favorites for the upcoming competition, England. What’s more, the victory over the Three Lions was achieved at Wembley, which makes it all the more impressive.
Next up is the last friendly match before the trip to America. The game against Iceland will be held in Tokyo at Japan National Stadium, so the team will try to delight their home fans with an excellent performance. The players and coaching staff realize that this dress rehearsal must be of the highest standard, and the support from the stands will provide a great boost for Hajime Moriyasu’s men.
May 31, Mexico vs Australia
In their previous two friendlies, Australia snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Cameroon and crushed Curaçao 5-1. On their way to the world’s premier competition, they successfully made it through two qualifying stages. In the second round, the Socceroos won all six games and topped their group with an incredible goal difference (22-0), while in the third round, they finished second in the group behind Japan.
In the first of their two friendly games ahead of the No. 1 football tournament, Australia will face Mexico. Although their opponents are higher in the FIFA rankings (15th compared to 27th), the H2H history favors the Socceroos. In 1997 and 2001, Australia beat Mexico at the Confederations Cup, and in 2023, the teams drew 2-2 in a friendly. Can Tony Popovic’s side achieve a positive result against El Tricolor once again?
June 1, Canada vs Uzbekistan
The White Wolves will face one of the 3 host nations of the No. 1 competition. This will be their second-to-last friendly match ahead of the tournament, so it’s important for the coaching staff to assess the players’ fitness and test some tactical ideas. In their last 6 games, Canada have recorded 4 wins, 2 draws and conceded only 2 goals. However, as all those matches were friendlies, it’s still difficult to assess the team’s real strength.
Uzbekistan made a confident run through the qualification on their way to America. In the second round, the team finished second in their group, and in the third round, they recorded 6 wins and 3 draws. Their only defeat came against Qatar, with the decisive goal conceded in the 12th minute of stoppage time. Now the White Wolves are keen to put in the most impressive and effective performance possible, given that it will be their first-ever appearance at the world’s premier tournament.
In addition to great determination and ambition, Uzbekistan have another significant advantage – talented players. Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Eldor Shomurodov are conquering the Turkish Süper Lig with İstanbul Başakşehir, while Abdukodir Khusanov is currently a starting defender for Manchester City. Along with the rest of Fabio Cannavaro’s team, they will surely put up a serious fight against Canada.
Enjoy the Asian teams’ friendly matches with 1xBet!
