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Is Yuma Suzuki destined to be the best Japanese striker to never play for the Samurai Blue?

Despite being one of the best Japanese players of his generation, Yuma Suzuki continues to be ignored by Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu -- even with star striker Ayase Ueda sidelined for the current international window. Masashi Hara/Getty Images

As Japan return to action in the third round of Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a distinct hurdle to overcome -- the injury-enforced absence of first-choice striker Ayase Ueda -- there was once again a notable omission from the squad selected by coach Hajime Moriyasu.

The fact that there has been little fanfare over the continued absence of one of the deadliest strikers currently active in Japanese football suggests how much of a norm is has now become.

Perhaps it has even got to the point where his supporters are now resigned to the fact that he will never pull on the Samurai Blue jersey under the Moriyasu regime.

With each passing international window where he continues to be ignored in spite of what he achieves at club level, Yuma Suzuki looks destined to be the best striker to never represent Japan.

He came close before, having been called out in November 2018 before having to withdraw through injury, and has not been sighted since.

In all fairness, the selection of the trio in line to fill Ueda's void in upcoming matches against Indonesia and China cannot be argued against.

All three are currently based in Europe. Kyogo Furuhashi, in particular, has been prolific for Celtic while Koki Ogawa has given an excellent account of himself in the Eredivisie with NEC Nijmegen, in addition to averaging a goal in each of his seven caps so far.

Even the uncapped Yuki Ohashi has made a fine start to life in England since his summer move to Championship outfit Blackburn.

Still, the fact remains that -- in having to replace a spearhead who is equal parts target man as he is a poacher, and who has no qualms leading the line on his own and doing his fair share of dirty work -- Suzuki is arguably the closest thing to a like-for-like stand-in for Ueda.

And his credentials speak for themselves.

Having burst onto the scene with Kashima Antlers, Suzuki was a J1 League champion by the time he was 20 and went on to be named the AFC Champions League's Most Valuable Player when his team were last crowned champions of Asia in 2018 -- five months shy of his 23rd birthday.

Europe eventually came calling and he took no time at all to settle at Sint-Truiden, even recording a 17-goal campaign in 2020-21 which ranked the joint-fourth highest in the Belgian Pro League.

While a bigger move beckoned, Suzuki's career then took an expected detour when he found himself back at Kashima but the goals have continued to flow.

In the three years since he returned to Japan, Suzuki is among the highest scorers in the J1 League and is a barometer for his team's prospects of success.

Earlier this year, when he had an impressive run of nine goals in 11 outings, the Antlers looked a legitimate chance for a first J1 League title since 2016.

Since then, he has netted just thrice in 18 games. Unsurprisingly, Kashima's title challenge has crumbled.

At the weekend, the other side of Suzuki's game -- which many believe is the sole reason why he will not be considered for selection by Moriyasu -- reared its ugly head.

In a league game against Nagoya Grampus, Suzuki was on the receiving end of a heavy challenge by Keiya Shiihashi. Even before the referee had blown for the foul, the Antlers man had already sprung back onto his feet to aggressively barge over his opponent in retaliation.

He did not raise any hands and it was, in fact, a body charge that had Shiihashi falling to the ground and holding his face but, upon VAR review, the act was deemed violent enough to warrant a straight red.

It is an aspect of the game that a character like Suzuki thrives on.

He has a history of taunting opposition fans. Veteran Asian football writer Paul Williams once remarked that Suzuki has "a mongrel about him" and "isn't afraid to engage in the dark arts", while also recalling an incident where the player was publicly shamed after his play-acting got an opposition player sent off.

Suzuki almost relishes being the pantomime villain, which isn't an easily-accepted role in a society that values respect and stoicism, where even just toeing the line could already be viewed as extreme behaviour.

Yet, with him, what you see is what you get. It is this same brashness that makes him a real nightmare for opposition defenders, from the way he physically batters his opponents to how he pulls off some quite remarkable goals.

What is perceived as arrogance by some can simply be confidence to others. Coaches that have been able the 'bad' in Suzuki's game have been the ones to benefit the most from his positive attributes.

There is no right or wrong answer in his continued absence from the international stage, especially if Japan continue to get results under Moriyasu. It is entirely the prerogative of the Samurai Blue coach to decide which players are the best fits for his squad, even if it is down to a matter of personality.

But there can be no denying that Suzuki is one of the standout players of his generation that Japan have produced. At the age of 28, he should be close to the peak of his powers.

Until, if ever, he wins his first cap, he will remain a genuine contender to the unwanted tag of being the best Japanese striker to never play for the Samurai Blue.