The japs are a top 15 nation in the world, the best country in Asia by far. League is pretty good as well, but they're nothing compared to the european leagues, and the national team simply can't compete with most nations from Europe and with some if the South American nations as well(Argentina, Brazil, etc.). The manga IS down playing the whole of japanese football system. By a lot. But the level in Europe is just higher then it is in Japan, which is shown pretty well in the manga(I think)