After playing every minute of Japan's run to the last 16 at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda faces a challenging path back to soccer's biggest stage.
The 34-year-old has set his sights on the next edition of the tournament in North America, but Samurai Blue boss Hajime Moriyasu has made it clear that Gonda's current club situation with J. League second-division side Shimizu S-Pulse is a barrier to selection.
In Japan's two friendlies since the World Cup, Moriyasu opted for 31-year-old goalkeeper Daniel Schmidt, who has been starting regularly in the Belgian top flight for Sint-Truiden.