The players of Japan's Nadeshiko Japan soccer team, which won against North Korea in the women's Paris Olympic qualifiers and qualified for the Olympics, were interviewed overnight, and captain Saki Kumagai said, ``There are some parts of me that are relieved, but...'' "This is the start, so I feel like I have no choice but to do everything I can to win the gold medal at the Olympics."
On the 28th, Japan defeated North Korea 2-1 in the second match of the Asian final qualifying round for the Paris Olympics held at the National Stadium in Tokyo, clinching their second consecutive Olympic appearance.
One day later, on the 29th, the players from the overseas group responded to an interview at Haneda Airport before departing for the countries where their respective clubs are located.
Among them, captain Saki Kumagai, who plays for Roma in the Italian First Division, said, ``I continue to feel relieved that I have been chosen.However, since this is the start, I have no choice but to do everything I can to win the gold medal at the Olympics.'' ''I told him how I felt.
Furthermore, Yui Hasegawa, who plays for Manchester City in the English Super League, revealed that she received congratulatory messages from her close friend, former Japan representative Shinji Ono, and said, ``I was really happy to receive messages from so many people. I'm glad I was able to perform in front of so many people who came to watch."
She added, ``Whether or not I can participate in the Olympics is related to the popularity of women's soccer in Japan, so I felt how difficult it was to stand there and take on the responsibility once again.At the Paris Olympics, I felt it was important for both myself and the team. I want to do my best and aim for a gold medal for the sake of both women's soccer and women's soccer," she said as she looked ahead to the future.
Starting in April, Nadeshiko Japan will be preparing for the Paris Olympics by going on two overseas expeditions and holding training camps both in Japan and overseas.
North Korea reports on the war with Japan “A fierce battle”
On the morning of the 29th, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency announced the result of the match, saying, ``An intense battle of defense and defense took place, and the game ended 1-2.''
Following the first game, the state news agency's website posted it as ``Important News'', which is unusual for a sports article, and once again demonstrated the high level of interest in the game despite the loss to Japan.
On the other hand, the domestic Korean Workers' Party's newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on the match results on page 4 following an article reporting on the movements of Kim Jong-un, but the headline did not read "Game 1". It is smaller than that.