After Japan's narrow 1-0 victory over China in the West Asia Cup, JFA Chairman川渊三郎 expressed his dissatisfaction in the mildest of terms. He believed that during the match between China and Japan in the West Asia Cup, the referee was biased towards China and did not provide adequate protection for the Japanese players. In an interview with Japan's Kyodo News,川渊三郎 praised the Japanese team, saying they "did a very good job," while severely criticizing the Chinese team's rough play as "the worst kind of poor football I've seen recently."
During the match against China, injuries to Japan's田理小 and scuffles involving铃木开太 with Chinese players were frequent. Dangerous tackles on Japanese players by the Chinese team continued, yet the referee made ambiguous calls regarding fouls.川渊三郎 angrily said, "I have never seen such home-field favoritism in refereeing. If this continues, Chinese football will never become strong." He also indicated plans to file a protest: "Players need better protection in matches."
Japan's leading sports website记者宇都宫彻壹 provided a comprehensive evaluation of the Sino-Japanese encounter after the game. In the final section of his article titled "Shouldn't Coach冈田 be more angry?", there was an image showing宗磊 jumping and stomping on田理大, reminiscent of the infamous flying kick incident involving a Tianjin goalkeeper in the Chinese Jia-A League many years ago.
In the article,宇都宫彻壹 commented on宗磊’s kick, stating it was "a sight rarely seen on a football pitch, perhaps only comparable to Cantona's flying kick at a fan in Manchester United history."
Despite having a system of 3000 police officers carefully guarding the venue, the boos directed at the Japanese team were much louder than expected. However, the trouble was not outside the stadium but inside, which is quite ironic.
"The players maintained their composure throughout the match, yet injuries still occurred. This is not just a problem with the referees; I am extremely dissatisfied," said川渊三郎 post-match. Even his voice changed due to anger. Not only the players on the field but also the coaches on the sidelines endured the full 90 minutes, having to tolerate malicious fouls from the opposing side.
"At present, the gap in level between Chinese and Japanese football is not significant. The individual skills of the Chinese team are strong, and technically they are not a very dangerous team. That's how we see them now," said冈田武史 after the game, trying to express goodwill. However, after the match ended, it was hard for him to accept the reality. The Chinese fouls seemed less about "winning at all costs" and more like "anything goes because the opponent is Japanese," suggesting thoughts beyond mere sport influenced their actions. Despite this, the Japanese players remained calm and held on until the final whistle.
The Japanese commander expressed his dissatisfaction formally, perhaps out of necessity given the frustration of playing against a lower-level opponent like China in the same competition.
This match has left deep impressions among followers of Japanese football and will likely influence future editions of the East Asia Cup. With田理小’s injury still under investigation, if serious consequences arise, J-League clubs might collectively oppose participating in the East Asia Cup in the future.
Perhaps Coach冈田is not entirely wrong, but Chairman川渊should lodge a firm protest. "This is a friendly match," such statements are no longer valid. The Japanese Football Association must take a strong stance.
Below is the post-match interview conducted by Kyodo News with川渊三郎 and the most critical commentary from Japanese media on this match. Can Chinese players and fans reflect positively on their dissatisfaction and learn something from it?