On the 30th, the Japanese national team, which is facing the World Cup Qatar soccer tournament, held an official practice for the third match of the first league match against Spain. I came to the adjustment of.
In the first round of the soccer World Cup in Qatar, Japan has a record of 1 win and 1 loss so far and will face Spain in their third match on December 1.
If they win, they will advance to the finals tournament for the second consecutive tournament, but if they lose, they will be eliminated, and in the case of a draw, it will depend on the result of the match between Costa Rica and Germany, which will be held at the same time.
On the 30th, the day before the match against Spain, the Japanese players held an official training session at a training facility in Doha from 6:00 pm.
In the first 15 minutes, which was open to the press, captain Maya Yoshida, Kaoru Mitoma, who is expected to be a trump card in attack, and 21-year-old Takefusa Kubo, who plays in the Spanish first division, are running with a toned expression. And I was doing ball spinning.
On the other hand, defender SAKAI Hiroki, who injured the back of his left thigh in the first match against Germany, and defensive midfielder ENDO Wataru, who complained of pain in his right knee after the match against Costa Rica, did not participate in the whole training session and adjusted themselves with other menus.
The match against Spain will start at 10:00 pm local time on December 1st and 4:00 am on December 2nd Japan time.
Takuma Asano "Playing with space creates opportunities"
Asano Takuma, who scored the winning goal in the first league match against Germany, commented on the match against Spain, "I think it's definitely going to be a match where we start off defensively, but I think we'll be able to play a good offense when we win the ball in good form. At that time, if we can play in the opponent's space, I think we will definitely have a chance."
He added, "The World Cup has not yet turned into a stage that surpasses my imagination as much as I have prepared, but I think that the more I win, the more I can see the scenery that goes beyond my imagination. I want to fight with all my might," he was enthusiastic.
Kaoru Mitoma "The counter is one key"
Mitoma Kaoru, who is expected to play a central role in the offense, commented on how they will play against Spain, saying, “Like Germany, we have a team that holds the ball, so we will have more people up front, and I think counterplay will be one of the keys. I want to play so that I can make good use of the large spaces that can be opened."
On top of that, he said, "The Costa Rica match turned out to be a disappointment, but as long as there is a possibility, we believe in it. We proved that we can beat strong opponents against Germany, so we can prove it again. I want to do everything I can to finish the final of the first league with no regrets.”
Takefusa Kubo "The key is how to capture the time when you can't touch the ball"
Takefusa Kubo, who plays in the Spanish 1st division, commented on how to fight the opponent, "A single player is not a team that sells, but as a team it is very scary, so we need to be vigilant against everyone. Speaking of Spanish football, we play in the league with possession. Even if we are playing, it feels like the game will be long. I think there will be more times when we don't touch the ball, so I think the key will be how we can capture that."
After that, he enthusiastically said, "It's become clear that I have no choice but to win. I don't want to be a talkative player, so I want to express myself by producing results on the pitch."
Maya Yoshida "The longer the 0 to 0 time is, the more advantageous it is for us"
Captain Yoshida Maya said about the big game against Spain, "Basically, I think the time we have the ball will be longer, but it's important how we endure and how we draw the opponent in. We are well prepared and there is no doubt that Spain is strong, but we want to fight with good preparations and ideas.”
After that, "I think that they will come at a high pace in the first half, just like Germany, but I think there is no doubt that there will be space in the second half, so the longer the 0-0 time is, the more advantageous the situation will be for us. I think it will be born. I want to make sure we don't concede goals so that we can make the most of our strengths at that time."
Takehiro Tomiyasu "Repaying the Debt of the Tokyo Olympics"
Defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, who joined the general practice from the 29th practice, said, "I was well prepared. In my sense, I think that it should be considered as the first round of the final tournament, and I can't lose. So I want to show what I have prepared on the pitch."
After losing to Spain in the semi-finals at last year's Tokyo Olympics, he said, "We, the members of the Tokyo Olympics generation, are facing this year with a strong desire to return the favor. We want to express that feeling on the pitch and achieve results. I was enthusiastic.
Hiroki Sakai "I'm ready to play"
SAKAI Hiroki, who missed the match against Costa Rica on the 27th, said about the condition of his leg, which is a concern, saying, "My condition has improved considerably, and I am ready to play by doing what I can."
After that, "I think the goal is clear because we have no choice but to win.Spain is a team that is very difficult to find weaknesses, just like Germany, but as with Germany, you never know what will happen in football. I don't have any, so I want to do it only for results," he was enthusiastic.