In the 3rd match of the first round of the World Cup Qatar tournament, the Japan national team will face the Spanish national team on December 1st local time, early morning December 2nd Japan time.


Japanese supporters visiting the country expressed their expectations for Japan's victory and advancement to the final tournament.

Japan, who are in Group E of the first league, have finished 2 games and are ranked 2nd in the group with 1 win, 1 loss and 3 points. play against Spain.



Around the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, where the match will be held, there were supporters visiting the venue.



A man who lives in Dubai and visited with his son said, "I want Japan to win and advance to the last 16. I have high hopes for Mitoma. I want to enjoy the atmosphere that can only be experienced here."



In addition, at the market in the center of Doha, which is a tourist spot, there were many Japanese supporters wearing uniforms and waving their national flags, looking forward to the start of the match.



The two supporters who visited said, "I brought the Japanese flag with me to convey my passion to the players. Spain's attacking power is tremendous, but Japan also has strong players. They beat Spain 2-1. I believe it will come," he said.



If Japan wins against Spain, they will advance to the knockout stages for the second consecutive tournament, but if they lose, they will be eliminated.



In case of a draw, it will depend on the outcome of the Germany vs. Costa Rica match played at the same time slot.

People looking for tickets for the Japan game

On December 1, when Japan will play against powerhouse Spain in the World Cup Qatar tournament to advance to the final tournament, about two hours before the opening of reception at 10:00 am at the ticket sales office in the center of the capital city of Doha. About 300 people formed a long queue from



Some even came to buy tickets for the match between Japan and Spain.



A female Filipino office worker who lives there said, "Tickets were already sold out on the Internet sales site, so I thought I might be able to buy them at the sales office, so I came here. Spain is a strong player, but Japan is also ahead of Germany. I expect it to be a good match, and I hope that Japan will win the match and advance to the final tournament.”

Japanese living in Spain

At a takoyaki shop in Madrid, Japanese people living there and people with a connection to Japan gathered before the match against Spain on December 1st, and encouraged Japan to advance to the final tournament.



Among them, a Japanese woman who visited the shop with a Spanish man was indignant at the man's remark that "It's an easy match for Spain" and said, "It's frustrating that I'm being underestimated. They say Spain is strong, but I want Japan to do its best," he said.



Also, a young man who is aiming to become a Japanese teacher in Spain said, "I don't think there will be a big difference, and I want them to win, but I also feel that it will be tough. I want both Japan and Spain to advance to the final tournament together." I was talking.



A woman in her 20s who goes to a university in Madrid said, "When I talked to people in Spain, when Japan won against Germany, the atmosphere was like 'This is not to be taken lightly.' I think so," he said.



Ryuta Ichinohe, who runs the takoyaki shop, said he expects a draw because he wants both Japan and Spain to win.



Ichinohe, who came to Madrid eight years ago, was once aiming to become a professional soccer player in Japan.



Now, his dream is to grow his takoyaki business in Spain, and in the future use the earnings to make a soccer team.



Mr. Ichinohe said, “I think Japanese people are able to run until the end and persevere even when things get tough. However, I feel that Spain knows football better. It's wonderful to be able to compete against each other." He hoped that this match would be an opportunity to show the world the power of Japanese football.

Spanish citizens

Spain will face Japan in the World Cup Qatar soccer tournament, the third match of the first league.



The world ranking is 7th.



It is a powerhouse country that has participated in the World Cup for the 16th time in 12 consecutive tournaments.



In 2010, they won their first championship in South Africa.



In Madrid, the capital city, many people heard voices that made them feel confident that they would advance to the final tournament.



Of these, five families living in Madrid agreed that Spain would win the match, and the men's and women's trio expected Spain to score two goals to beat Japan.



On the other hand, there were also voices saying that Japan, who betrayed most expectations and won a historic victory against the powerhouse Germany, should not let their guard down.



A man in his 30s said, ``Spain won the match 2-1, but I think it will be a difficult game.



A man in his 20s also said, "Spain will control the ball, but there is a possibility that it will be a close match."



At general stores and souvenir shops in the capital Madrid, more and more people are buying red uniforms of the national team nicknamed "La Roja" since the World Cup started.



There are no public viewings or other large-scale spectator events scheduled in Madrid, but many of the people I interviewed said they would like to watch the match live at home.

Spanish newspaper editor-in-chief ``Spain wins Japan 2-0''

Gallardo, editor-in-chief of Marca, the daily sports newspaper with the largest circulation of any Spanish newspaper, expects Spain to beat Japan 2-0.



Mr. Gallardo expressed his view that the current Spain national team is an unprecedented match and has more experience than Japan as a powerhouse.



On the other hand, he said, ``Japan's victory over Germany shows Japan's strength, and there is a possibility that Spain will come under strong pressure,'' he said. I emphasized that it is an opponent that cannot be beaten.



On top of that, he pointed out that Japan will not change its stance, saying, "Defenders defend strongly, forwards play with patience and speed, and seize valuable chances. That's not the key to Japan's way of fighting. Or?”, and analyzed that Japan will devote themselves to soccer, which they are good at.



As for notable Japanese players, Takefusa Kubo, who played in the first division of Spain and is widely known, Junya Ito and Daizen Maeda were named, and he said, "Japanese strikers are very fast and skillful. He has speed and counterattacks are very dangerous," he said.



He also praised Japan's defense team, saying, "Their tactics are well thought out, their positioning is skillful, and even if their physique is inferior to other teams, they make up for it with their organizational strength."



Regarding the speculation by some media that Spain might aim to reach second place in the primary league in order to avoid facing Brazil in the knockout rounds, the team's DNA is to win. It was carved with a go-ahead attitude, emphasizing that he would not fight in a way that aimed for a loss or a draw.



At the end of the interview, when I expressed my personal opinion that I thought Japan would win 2 to 1, his calm expression changed completely, and he emphasized, "The one who does his best will win." I was emailing the team.