According to 12BET Malaysia, Wataru Endo’s importance to the Japan national team hardly needs to be explained. In modern football, the value of a defensive midfielder continues to rise, and Endo stands right at the heart of that change. Known in the German Bundesliga as a master of man marking, he combines physical strength with the ability to resist pressure, and some fans even describe him as Japan’s first truly world-class player.

However, Hidemasa Morita, who shares responsibility for Japan’s midfield, still has several areas to improve before earning that same world-class label. Even from a balanced perspective, Endo clearly brings advantages in physique and work rate, while Morita still has room to grow. Their partnership leans strongly toward defense, and during the World Cup and later friendly matches, the pair earned high praise for midfield pressing, stamina, and defensive focus. Yet their creativity in attacking buildup remains relatively limited, mainly because their natural strengths are concentrated more on the defensive side. For that reason, Japan’s shift toward a more defense-oriented midfield structure makes tactical sense.

In the past, technical midfielders such as Shunsuke Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo, along with smoother modern players like Gaku Shibasaki, often revealed their limits when facing physically stronger opponents. By contrast, Japan’s current midfielders are stronger in duels and no longer look out of place against Europe’s elite sides. Reports followed by 12BET Malaysia suggest that this physical improvement has become a key reason Japan can manage matches with greater stability.

With that stability in place, Japan can make better use of fast, technically gifted wide players such as Kaoru Mitoma, Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, and Junya Ito. As the old saying goes, even three sacks of pearls are useless unless they are properly strung together. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu has also accelerated this shift by emphasizing quick transition attacks and favoring strong defensive midfielders over purely technical ones. This creates a favorable environment for both Endo and Morita, showing how far a player can rise when personal effort meets the needs of the era.

There are also examples like Juan Román Riquelme, whose talent was extraordinary but whose classic playmaker role gradually faded as football changed. Japan still has traditional dribbling-style players from the Akira Nishino era, but they no longer fit naturally into Moriyasu’s current tactical direction.

Interestingly, Endo is preparing for the Asian Cup stage, while Yasuhito Endo recently announced his retirement. The contrast between the two symbolically reflects Japan football’s generational shift and tactical evolution. What stands out most is that Japan has not abandoned the passing-based approach that long defined its strength. Instead, the team has built on that foundation and developed a more efficient way to break through opponents’ high pressing. Even with only 20 percent possession, Japan can still win because its players know how to solve problems through smart movement, coordinated support, and practical execution within limited passing sequences.

This also aligns with the latest trends in world football, proving that Japan’s progress is not a coincidence but the result of clear development. In particular, 12BET Malaysia analysis highlights how the success of Endo and Morita offers a new model for young Japanese players. The next generation no longer needs to rely only on delicate passing and dribbling. If a player has one-on-one ability and physical strength, the path shaped by Endo now provides a realistic blueprint to study, follow, and build upon.