Hajime Moriyasu has already led Japan to qualify for next year's World Cup final, but there was no disguising of his frustration on his bottom side who lost 1-0 to Australia in Perth on Thursday.
The 90th minute strike of Aziz Behich shared the Samurai Blue to Australia in 16 years and a first defeat in all competitions since February last year.
“It became an extremely frustrating and disappointing result,” Moriyasu told reporters.
“Many inexperienced players were in action, but they were enthusiastic in practice, showed their best and were willing to fight as a team as a Japan.”
Moriyasu has ambitions to win the World Cup next year, not so foolish a goal when it is reminded that he led Japan to victories over Germany and Spain at the last edition in 2022.
Moriyasu wanted to turn off his top players on Thursday and released his top players on Thursday and released a team with nine players who are starting for the first time, three of them debutants.
They still dominated the game with their neat possessal football for everyone, except the last few minutes and would have won if they had produced a better end product for the goal.
“I don't think we were technically and physically on the second best. Maybe a lack of experience cost us,” said Moriyasu
“I wanted to see what (inexperienced) players could do in a high -pressure environment. We have to improve and expand our team.”
Japan completed their qualifying campaign against Indonesia in Suita on Tuesday and Moriyasu said his team would like to go back to winning ways.
“We wanted to continue our undefeated run, but it is now too late for that,” said Moriyasu.
“We will prepare ourselves as well as possible to complete things with a victory.”