The Japanese team appeals to its responsibility to the country to beat Spain, a team it admires tactically: “The Spaniards always seem to be in the right place”
Japanese customs at the World Cup differ in many ways from the rest of the teams. It is noticeable when entering their training center, where measures against the pandemic already forgotten in other places are common (mask, gel, safety distance…), and also when attending the press conference prior to a transcendent match. There the protagonists introduce themselves and launch their message before question time begins. «Good afternoon, my name is Shuichi Gonda, I am goalkeeper for the Japanese team. The second game was not as we expected…’, the starting goalkeeper of the team started his intervention. Next to him, Hajime Moriyasu, the coach, nods because he knows the purpose of the cameras. He then speaks in a low and slow tone in a speech intended for his fans, to whom he guarantees the players’ efforts to bring joy to the country: “Please be with us and support us,” he demands. “The game is in our country at four in the morning and many fans will wake up very quickly to see us,” says Gonda, who takes responsibility.
Two days ago, after the loss against Costa Rica, Princess Hasiko, a member of the Japanese royal family and also an honorary member of the Japan Federation, gave a ten-minute speech to the players and expressed the support of all Japanese people. Football and the national team are becoming a matter of state in a country that has set itself the goal of winning a World Cup by 2050. “To do this, we have to keep learning from the big teams, like Spain,” he said. Moriyasu. There is respect in the Japanese team for everything the team stands for, for the level of its players and their game. They’ve both made it clear, which doesn’t mean they’re capable of winning. “They are very intelligent players. The Spaniards always seem to be in the right place. They always do, even when there is a lot of pressure. Against Costa Rica it reminded me of a video game. impressed,” Gonda acknowledged. “The fact that I can fight against Spain already makes me happy,” continued the Japanese coach. “Tactically and technically they are very strong and with Luis Enrique they have gained momentum. The question is whether we will know how to play our best football. I think so. We will try to do well against a team that has been world champions.”
Moriyasu wrote on a piece of paper as he listened to his porter’s answers until a journalist did not resist and asked him about those notes: “It is a sentence Gonda said about the past that cannot be changed. It doesn’t matter if it was good or bad. Where to act is about the future. I tell the players and I tell myself. I noticed something else about the criticism and praise we are exposed to. It’s a natural thing in football that we will always have to deal with. The coach has also hinted that Sakai, Tomiyasu and Endo, the three doubters in his squad due to physical reasons, will be available for the game.
It’s a matter of numbers and possibilities. Thursday’s Japan-Spain match is much more transcendental for the Asians, for whom the feat of beating Germany may fall short if they fail to beat Luis Enrique’s team after the unexpected defeat to Costa Rica. It’s in their hands to make it through to the round of 16 or whether their time in the World Cup will be remembered only for how spotless the dressing rooms leave or for something else.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
