33 Minutes Played: Celtic Star Features in Japan’s Win Over China

Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Reo Hatate were all included as substitutes for Japan in their World Cup qualifier against China.

Japan secured a 3-1 victory, with the Celtic trio playing just 33 minutes as Hajime Moriyasu’s team advanced in their World Cup qualification campaign.

While being named as substitutes lowers the risk of injury, there is likely some frustration for the players, having traveled to Indonesia and China without getting the opportunity to start either match.

Maeda and Hatate, key players in the squad this season, both featured in Japan’s 4-0 victory over Indonesia, which took them to 13 points from their first five qualifying matches—seven ahead of Australia in Group C.

Leading 2-0 at halftime, the teams exchanged goals early in the second half. Japan made two substitutions in the 65th minute, but the Celtic trio remained on the bench. Kyogo made his return in the 77th minute, coming close to scoring twice in stoppage time as he aimed to prove to Moriyasu that he deserves more than just a backup role for injuries.

Maeda entered in the 84th minute, replacing Takefusa Kubo, as Japan comfortably secured the win to extend their lead at the top of the group.

With seven minutes of stoppage time added, the Celtic duo managed to play a combined 33 minutes, while Hatate remained on the sidelines.

The Celtic trio will be clocking up the airmiles tomorrow morning as they embark on the long journey from Xiamen to Glasgow. Training at Lennoxtown is expected to be light on Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s crucial SPFL clash away to Hearts, marking the beginning of a busy stretch of club fixtures.

In March, Japan will have home qualifiers against Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

Source: https://videocelts.com/2024/11/blogs/latest-news/33-minutes-celtic-international-latest-as-japan-beat-china/