Japan’s thoughts: after the match against Tunisia

Japan have shown their attacking prowess with 22 goals in their last five games, including a 4-1 win over Canada on 13 October. For the match against Tunisia on 17 October they lined up midfielder Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad) as the number 10, Reo Hatate (Celtic) on the left wing, Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic) as the lone striker and Junya Ito (Stade Reims) on the right wing. 

Japan then beat Tunisia by 2-0 to win their sixth consecutive international A-match.

Here are some quotes from the Japanese players after the match.

Wataru Endo / Liverpool

“When the ball came to the left centre-back, we did a good job of driving it in and luring the opponents out. I think our risk management and transitions after attacks were very good.”

“(Were you wary of counter-attacks by the opponents who pulled back?) We shouldn’t fear that and there was no point in passing the ball around safely. We were just trying to get in vertically when we could. Our centre-backs were able to hold the ball up, so when they came under pressure, we made our move, and I think we did that quite well. There were many times when we were able to watch our opponents, change our position and break them down. It is important to wait for the opponent to come to you.”

Junya Ito / Stad de Reims

“I felt bit heavy. But rather than being tired, the opponents were using a back five to eliminate space and defend with a lot of men, especially on my side of the field. Take [Takefusa Kubo] also drifted to the right, so I think they were trying to defend there well. When Take moved to the right, I was also expected to play well inside.”

“(You have scored four goals in five games.) I can score for the national team. I’m in good form, but I’m not the type to score like that. Well, but it’s good. In the national team, I have a chance.”

“Nanami-san [Coach Hiroshi Nanami] said that we should definitely get three players in the box (for crosses). At half-time, he also told me to definitely get in on the crosses. I showed up in the box and Take found me and cut the ball back, which became a nice assist. I was also careful not to blow it up and aimed at the right course. I tried not to hit the opponent and let it go in. I was right on target.”

Takehiro Tomiyasu / Arsenal

“We all talked before the game about keeping a clean sheet. It was good that we achieved that.”

“(You seemed to be leading the team.) I wasn’t particularly conscious of that. I think line control is my role. It’s important to watch the flow of the game and decide when to go and when not to go. If the whole team is compact, whether high or low, it’s hard to get beaten. We had a number of chances towards the end and if we could finish them off, we could kill the game. If we could make it 3-0, 4-0, we could ruin opponents’s mentality. But I think we were able to do that without being in a hurry. In the first half, we had chances but didn’t score, but we didn’t panic and got a goal. It was a game with a lot to gain.”

“(You were protesting against the referee). It was a frustrating referee. You have to say what needs to be said. Referees are human beings and they could be changed by protesting. I think this is something the Japanese have not done, but we have to do it. It’s not just me, but anyone who can say it should say it.”

“(Do you take Maya Yoshida’s leadership as a reference?) Maya showed me his captaincy on and off the pitch. I don’t have to be too conscious of it, I just do it my way. But on the other hand, a defender who shows too much emotion is not good, so I have to control it well.”

“(How are your conditions?) I am tired. I need to recover and refresh myself. I’ll go back home and play another series of games (for Arsenal).”

Yukinari Sugawara / AZ Alkmaar

“I was working with Takefusa [Kubo] and Junya [Ito] on the right side, but I felt we were being counter-measured quite well. But if you carry the ball and keep doing it over and over again, mistakes like that are bound to happen. We were able to score well with the chances we had in the first half. In a good way, I think it was a good simulation for the Asian qualifiers.”

“(What did you pay attention to?) Counters from our own mistakes, set pieces, and not giving away unintentional fouls. We talked about risk management with Tomi [Takehiro Tomiyasu], Koh [Itakura] and Yuta [Nakayama] before the game, so we were able to do that to a certain extent. I think it was good, but I don’t think it’s perfect yet, so I want to look back and work on it again.”

“(Did you have more shooting opportunities than usual?) I thought that was one of my characteristics, so I was trying to take on offensive challenges. I had some shooting chances in that situation. I felt like I really had to practice there.”

“(You wanted to kick freekicks, didn’t you?) No, not really. Because Takefusa had scored yesterday in practice, and his kick was a threat to the opponents. But before I had time to do that, Takefusa was holding the ball with a look like he was ready to kick it. Then I thought, ‘I shouldn’t kick this,’ haha. So I watched quietly, because that is his weapon. Takefusa probably trains more and has better quality.”