What did the Japanese coach say before the match against Vietnam?
(Baonghean.vn) - Opening the press conference on the evening of January 23, Mr. Moriyasu commented: "After 2 days, we are still a bit tired but hope the players will recover their physical and mental strength in time to best prepare for the match with Vietnam."
Mr. Hajime Moriyasu once again affirmed: “Japan came here to win the championship. We are still developing, the team has some new players and experienced players. Tomorrow's match is difficult and we will show our best to win against Vietnam”.
Hajime Moriyasu did not want to talk about the starting lineup for the match against Vietnam. However, he seemed concerned about having one day less rest than his opponent. “We have to prepare so that the players can play in the best physical and mental condition even though they have one day less rest than the Vietnamese team,” the Japanese coach compared.
![]() |
Coach Hajime Moriyasu. Photo: FIFA |
When asked about the loss to Vietnam at the 2018 Asian Games, coach Hajime Moriyasu shared: "I don't have any special feelings about that match. What I think is that the team is focusing on preparing to play each match. Vietnam being here means they are very strong. Over the past year, you have had great results in Asian tournaments.
Coach Toshiya Miura once built a Vietnamese team and achieved quite good results. I think the upcoming match will be very difficult. Japan respects Vietnam. We will have to play our best on the field to win."
Ahead of the match against Vietnam, star Shibasaki Gaku, who plays for Getafe in La Liga, said: “As head coach Hajime said, we have prepared well for the match against Vietnam. I am ready to play explosively if I get to play tomorrow. The whole team is preparing the best.
I think that being present at the 2019 Asian Cup, the winning result is very important for the team. Personally, it is the same for me. Besides, the quality of the performances is also very important. Japan is improving every match. The victory against Saudi Arabia makes us more confident on the field. Japan always has very high expectations. The same is true for the 2019 Asian Cup. If we can reach the final and win the championship, it will be very good for our country."
![]() |
Japan national team star Shibasaki Gaku. Photo: FIFA |
Sharing about the opponent, the Vietnam National Team, Shibasaki Gaku had special words of praise for Park Hang-seo's team. "Since they are in the quarter-finals, the Vietnam National Team is definitely a strong opponent. I have watched the video recordings of their matches. This is a team with a lot of fighting spirit, youth, technique and plays with high determination.
“The Vietnamese players are not tall, but they have good technical skills. I don’t pay special attention to any of their stars. However, Japan will play well to limit Vietnam’s possession of the ball in the midfield area.”
In a sharing with Chosun News after the match between Japan and Saudi Arabia, coach Park Hang-seo affirmed that he had found Japan's strengths and would find ways to overcome them.
![]() |
Coach Park Hang-seo. Photo: Zing |
“Watching Japan play, we can see that this team has a well-organized and tight defense. It is not easy to penetrate Japan's defense. However, I enjoy this challenge. We will find weaknesses to exploit and defeat our opponents" - coach Park Hang-seo confidently said.
Coach Park also said that Japanese players have excellent passes, especially in midfield, so he will instruct his players to be careful and not leave any gaps for the opponent to exploit./.

Asian Cup 2019 Quarterfinals: Identifying the Opponent - Japan is no longer the same
(Baonghean.vn) - In the minds of many Vietnamese football fans, Japan is a team that plays flamboyantly but is still disciplined, but currently the team's playing style is no longer aimed at devastating victories, but instead at results that are just enough to advance to the next round.