Japanese coach: 'We must win to ease the pain of natural disasters at home'
(Baonghean.vn) - Coach Hajime Moriyasu of the Japanese team hopes that the whole team will play well in the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup, as a way to share with the people suffering from natural disasters in his homeland.
Speaking at a press conference before the opening match of the 2023 Asian Cup, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu affirmed the determination of the Japanese team in this year's tournament.
"We want to win the championship. But the goal is to play well in each game. Everyone in Japan is expecting us to win the championship for the fifth time in history and we are trying for that. As you know, Japan is suffering from many natural disasters. I think if we play well, it can be a positive encouragement for those who are suffering from natural disasters."
In recent days, Kaoru Mitoma's ability to play has been a hot topic of interest to many fans. There is information that although he has returned to training, the player under the Brighton roster still needs a personal guard. Mr. Moriyasu is also uncertain about the player's ability to play in the match against Vietnam: "Kaoru Mitoma wants to play for Japan, but at the moment, we have to see his injury situation."
A special thing about the Japanese team, unlike other teams, Mr. Hajime Moriyasu lets his players practice from 10am to 11am (Qatar time). Explaining this, the Japanese coach said: "When we practice at that time, the end time is the same as the time we warm up for the next match. This is a period of time with good conditions to train the players' physical strength and endurance. In addition, after that, we will have more time to rest better."
Talking about the possibility that Vietnam could play deep defense, affecting the Japanese team's playing style, he also said: "Coach Troussier is a former Japanese coach, so he understands the Japanese team very well. But we also know them. We will play a balanced game. We have 7 matches if we go to the end, so we will consider how to use the players appropriately," concluded Mr. Hajime Moriyasu.
Meanwhile, captain Wataru Endo said: "As the captain of the Japanese team, we are training hard every day towards the championship. Japan has just had an earthquake and we want to share with everyone, first of all by performing well in this tournament. We have to play our way."
The match between Vietnam and Japan will take place at 6:30 p.m. on January 14 and will be broadcast live on FPT Play and VTV platforms./.
