Former Japanese national team defender Tanaka Marcus Tulio (44, retired) criticized the current Japanese national team’s performance. Tulio was born to a Japanese father and an Italian-Brazilian mother and played for the Japanese national team.
According to Japan’s Higashspo Web, Tulio analyzed the confrontation (2-2) between Japan and Paraguay on October 10 on his YouTube channel “Tulio TV.”
Tulio first praised Japanese national team striker Koki Ogawa (28, NEC Neimeheon) for his outstanding determination. Ogawa has scored as many as 10 goals in 11 A matches.
사진 확대 Tulio’s active days. 사진=AFPBBNews=News1 
사진 확대 Tulio (pictured right) during his active days. 사진=AFPBBNews=News1 
사진 확대 Koki Ogawa, the Japanese national striker. 사진=AFBPBBNews=News1
Ogawa is considered the “most efficient striker” in the Japanese national team, continuing to score consistently starting with his debut goal against El Salvador in June 2023.
Tulio said, “The good thing is Ogawa’s scoring scene. It was the opponent’s goalkeeper’s mistake. However, a goal is a goal. As a striker, I didn’t lose my concentration until the end,” he said.
“Ogawa is not outstanding in dribbling. Post play is not that good either. Still, he is playing a good role in creating a goal in front of the goal. A striker is a position that is judged by numbers. I did my part enough in that regard,” he said.
사진 확대 사진=AFPBBNews=News1 
사진 확대 Japanese national team striker Ogawa. 사진=AFPBBNews=News1
Tulio gave a cool evaluation of the Japanese national team’s performance.
“Japan was so bad that Paraguay looked like a good team,” Tulio said. “I’m disappointed,” he said. “I shouldn’t say I won the World Cup without winning Paraguay. Japan is not at that level,” he pointed out.
“Paraguay is the sixth-ranked team in the South American qualifiers,” Tulio said. It’s hard to accept two runs to such a team. Assuming this game is the World Cup group stage, Japan thinks it is difficult to advance to the round of 16.”
Japan will face Brazil, which defeated South Korea 5-0 on the 14th.
[Lee Geunseung, MK Sports Reporter]
AloJapan.com