USA vs. Japan Men’s Olympic Preview

USA v Japan (M)

The first day of the men's Olympic tournament is highlighted by a Group A matchup of the host country, Japan, and the United States. In a group that includes powerhouses Hungary, Italy and Greece, both teams can see this day 1 game as a must-win to keep their path to medal contention clear. Be on the lookout for a high scoring affair due to the unique Japanese style of play. Second half defensive stops, refereeing style and the ability of the US to keep the score low should be factors in this matchup.

• These two teams most recently met at the World League Super Finals in June. The US came away with a 15-7 win in group play. 

• The win in June suggests the US may have "figured out" Japan, but the team had struggled with Japan in recent years. Japan has beat the United States 3 times since 2017. Prior to those losses, the United States had never lost to Japan in water polo. 

• Take note of the fast-paced Japanese style of play as it can give teams adjustment problems. They rely on speed, counter attacks and a “fronting” defensive strategy. The style is highlighted by the scoring ability of Yusuke Inaba

• The US will try to slow down the Japanese and use their size to gain mismatch advantages. Look for the US centers, Hallock and Obert, to have big games here both scoring and drawing exclusion and penalty fouls. 

• While Japan finished last at the Rio Olympics and hadn't qualified for an Olympic Games since 1984 prior to that, Japan has a long history of Olympic water polo dating back to the games in Los Angeles in 1932. This was also the year of their highest Olympic finish, 4th.

Written by, Breck Weiny