January 30 – Despite being 10 minutes late, Japan national team coach Hajime Moriyasu maintains a calm and composed demeanor at a press conference ahead of Wednesday night’s Round of 16 match against Bahrain at Al Thumama Stadium. He explained his expectations for the
“After the Indonesia game, we had some time to rest. We practiced well with good intensity, so we expect a lot from tomorrow’s game.
“It doesn’t matter who we play in the knockout stages, we just have to focus on ourselves. Of course it will be a tough game, but we have to focus on playing our brand of football. .
“Bahrain are a very high-quality team, tactically well organized. They defend well and attack well, as well as on the counter.”
Japan, led by coach Moriyasu, finished second in Group D after dropping a point against Iraq. This was a surprising result considering the team’s status as a favorite to win the tournament. The team is now hoping to recover from a shaky start and prove to the world why they are so highly regarded.
“Of course we have to learn from our mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we are worried about our defense for tomorrow’s game. I am confident that our players will perform to their 100% potential.
“When people say we are struggling, it is actually a sign of respect and people know we can play better. Other countries in the world are also continuing to grow, with the gap between the top and bottom narrowing.
Coach Moriyasu’s team, participating in knockout soccer for the first time since the World Cup held in the same city last winter, will face the prospect of reliving the heartbreak of the penalty shootout against Croatia if they are not drawn with Bahrain after 120 minutes. It is possible to taste it.
“At the World Cup, we suffered a tough defeat in a penalty shootout, and we have been practicing based on that. However, the most important thing is not to take penalties in the first place. However, it is up to the players to decide,” Moriyasu explained.
In line with what was expected of the Japanese, Coach Moriyasu and his entourage arrived 10 minutes late for the second press conference of the tournament.
“The coach arrived on time, but we were driving around the building for 20 minutes!” he joked.
The experienced manager is also accompanied by Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo, who is currently plying his trade with La Liga side Real Sociedad and has also attracted interest from Manchester United, who could be interested in signing him as soon as possible. There is a possibility that they will aim to sign the 22-year-old in the summer. Switching his focus back to the upcoming finals, Kubo wasted no time and simply said it.
“We just want to prepare well and play well tomorrow. We know that if we lose just one game from now on, we will be eliminated and our journey will be over.
“It’s the knockout stage, we just have to play our own football. We have to focus on ourselves. We conceded a goal early against Iraq, but we should avoid situations like this.”
Kubo, who lives in Spain and spends most of the year training with players from Europe and South America, was named the Asian Soccer Player of the Month after an impressive start to the season that saw him named La Liga Player of the Month for September. was asked how calm he was. .
“I have always played with Asian teams at youth level and now in my senior career I am playing for the Japanese national team. I have a lot of experience playing against Asian teams and have played in Europe. “Despite the fact that we have a lot of talent, we have no problem adapting to our Asian opponents,” he concluded.
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