Japanese striker praises Vietnamese players

"I don’t pay special attention to any particular player. I think Vietnamese players have great pace and technique, especially in ball control. If we want to get a good result against them in the upcoming game, we need to give 100%," Asano told Vietnamese media in an online interview on Tuesday.

Vietnam and Japan are in Group D of Asian Cup, which will take place from Jan. 12 to Feb. 2 next year in Qatar.

The two teams will clash on Jan. 14 at the Al Thumana Stadium. Japan, the four-time champions, are title contenders. Meanwhile, Vietnam are in a transition period under coach Philippe Troussier. The other teams in Group D are Iraq and Indonesia.

Since 2011, Vietnam have not had a win against Japan in four encounters (three defeats and one draw).

In the most recent game at Saitama Stadium on March 29, 2022, in group B of the 2022 World Cup third qualifying round, Vietnam unexpectedly held Japan to a 1-1 draw. Asano was on the squad list for this match but did not play.

This season, Asano played 15 matches for Bochum in Bundesliga and Germany’s National Cup DFB-Pokal, scoring five goals and making one assist. The 29-year-old has had 48 appearances for Japan, scoring nine goals, of which the most famous is the goal against Germany, helping Japan win 2-1 in the 2022 World Cup group stage.

"I think Japan are a strong team. But the important thing is that the majority of players on the team play in the top European leagues. This is the reason why Japan are playing better against stronger opponents," Asano added.

Asano emerged as a young talent at Sanfrecce Hiroshima from 2013 to 2016.

He caught the eye of former Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger and became Arsenal’s second signing in the summer of 2016.

However, problems with his work permit prevented the Japanese striker from playing for Arsenal and he did not make a single appearance for the club.

These difficulties did not discourage Asano who went on to play for German clubs VfB Stuttgart and Hannover 96 on loan before joining Serbian club Partizan Belgrade, where he scored 22 goals in 56 matches and was signed by Bochum in 2021.

"Adapting to the European football environment is not simple for Asian players. I know many Japanese players were discouraged and returned after a short spell. But those who are strong enough to stay will definitely improve," Asano said.

"In my opinion, Vietnamese and Asian players who want to play in the Bundesliga need to perform well in their domestic leagues. You can’t be too satisfied and must always try to improve every day. Teams in Bundesliga are strong and against opponents like that every week helps me improve quickly."