The 5-1 defeat suffered by Sweden in the debut caused one of the first drastic changes of this World Cup. Tunisia fired Sabri Lamouchi and handed over command of the national team to Hervé Renard, who will make his debut this Sunday (21), at 1am (Brasília time), against Japan, at the BBVA Stadium, in the second round of the group stage. For the Tunisians, the confrontation is worth staying in the fight for a place in the round of 16.
Renard arrives with a respected CV in national team football. Two-time champion of the African Cup of Nations, the Frenchman was also ahead of Saudi Arabia in the last one and was marked by the victory over Argentina, which would later win the title. Now, he takes on a team under pressure and with little time to correct problems exposed in the debut.
The new coach tried to change the environment in the first days of work. “I told the players: you have to lift your head, you have to move forward. You are here to represent the country, it is an honor and a duty. There are still two games left. It is a World Cup. As long as there is life, there is hope. It is a challenge that is not easy, but it is motivating”, he stated.
In addition to the need to score, Tunisia also needs to think about their goal difference, which was heavily affected by the defeat to the Swedes. Therefore, a draw would not help the team in the fight for classification. The expectation is for a more aggressive stance from a team that enters the field with no margin for error.
On the other hand, Japan arrives in a more comfortable situation after achieving a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the first round. Despite the positive result, the Asian team lost one of its main technical references. Takefusa Kubo suffered an injury in his debut and is out of this Sunday’s clash.
The absence of the attacking midfielder, considered by many to be the greatest Japanese talent since Keisuke Honda, increases the responsibility of players like Daichi Kamada and Keito Nakamura. The duo played a decisive role against the Dutch and should play a leading role in the team’s offensive construction.
“I wonder what will happen to our chances without his ideas, his creativity, that special characteristic he has. We will go onto the field with Kubo in mind during the game. He is not leaving the team, he will just be out of this match. I am sure he will return soon and therefore I am not worried,” said Nakamura.
The player also indicated the path Japan intends to follow to compensate for the absence. “We have to vary our attack with dribbling, passing and long-distance shots. I hope we don’t maintain a predictable rhythm and can present different ways of playing,” he added.
