Read 4 minutes15 June 2026 at 12:41 PM IST
He was moved to tears when the Japanese national anthem was played before a thrilling 2-2 draw against the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He was communicating with his players with giant numbers written on a white board. He was also writing on his notepad leading to speculation as to whether the latter was actually the legendary “Deathnote” from the famous Japanese manga.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup may be just four days away but there is already a list of incidents from the tournament that have gone viral in the social media world. Japan’s legendary manager Hajime Moriyasu is now the latest addition to the bracket.
El metodo moriasu 🇯🇵📋
En el marco del estreno mundialista en Dallas que ended 2-2 before Países Países, el entrenador de Japón made indications with a blackboard. pic.twitter.com/HoJegKwy3n
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) 14 June 2026
https://platform.x.com/widgets.js
Not again?? pic.twitter.com/sEP6qMNwyX
— Anime Twts (@AnimexTwts) 14 June 2026
https://platform.x.com/widgets.js
The 57-year-old, leading Japan to his second World Cup as head coach, was plastered on the internet with screenshots and video clips showing him and his coaching staff holding large numbers written on his white board. Most speculated that it was Moriyasu’s way of telling his players how much time was left in the half, while others said it could be code for a tactical switch.
The move was a hot topic among the ITV pundits as Laura Woods asked former Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou what he thought of it.
The Australian said: “Yeah I think their timekeeping is good. Fantastic. I wish they would have said something,'[be] Brave’ and play more to their abilities.
“They should be happy with 2-2. I know their abilities. They can win these games with a bit more character.”
Gary Neville was later asked if he ever wanted to tell his players what minute they were in when he was Valencia boss.
Story continues below this ad
The Sky Sports pundit joked: “No, it wasn’t a trick I deployed. When I saw six boards, we conceded the same goal!”
Japan twice came from behind in one of the most exciting matches of the World Cup so far against the Netherlands at the Dallas Stadium. Japan were all smiles after the match, while Moriyasu said it was unfortunate they couldn’t get the win.
“Netherlands were a really strong opponent,” Moriasu said in the post-match press conference. “Even though we scored only one point, the players fought until the end and made two successful comebacks. I believe this match gave us confidence that if we keep up our performance we can get points and win.”
The draw puts both teams well into a group featuring Sweden and Tunisia and offers a glimpse of why both come to North America with ambitions beyond just reaching the knockout stages. For long periods the Dutch looked the brighter side, controlled possession, created more clear-cut chances and appeared to win the game twice. Yet Japan matched them for faith, organization and flexibility.