One day before their game in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics Asian Qualifiers Final Round against DPR Korea, Japan had one last a practice on 8 March.

The team disclosed the portion of the practice, which related to their strategies against DPR Korea. They practiced for about an hour. “Everybody understands why we are battling here,” coach SASAKI Norio said. “The national team have to win. We are going to be sticking to winning.”

The two spots from Asia for the Olympics have already been taken by Australia and China. Nadeshiko Japan will try to make it a step toward the FIFA Women's World Cup 2019 and Olympics in Tokyo 2020, while it will also be an important game that the team performs their own game that they have complied under Sasaki.

“We hope to inspire people to think that women's football is fun,” defender  KINGA Yukari said. Kinga is one of the nicest players on the team that she cares for people around her and the game. After the gold medal game at the London Olympics and games at other tournaments, she would always say, “please come to women's games again,” as she left the stadium. Forward YOKOYAMA Kumi, who made her national team debut last year, said: “we shouldn't diminish what this team have done."

Japan will face DPR Korea on the 9th at 19:35 at Kincho Stadium.

Players' Comments

DF #5  SAMESHIMA Aya (INAC KOBE LEONESSA)
(Having missed the Olympics) It's a very heavy thing. From our Vietnam game that was played on the 7th, it's been the whole new start for Nadeshiko, and it'll be important how we play and important to display how play against DPR Korea. DPR Korea have players with stronger physicality and once you show your weakness, you get beaten, so we want to be careful of our positioning and the distances between ourselves. While we are going to try to win it, we also want to play a game that inspire those who come to the game.

FW ＃20  YOKOYAMA Kumi (AC NAGANO PARCEIRO LADIES)
Our senior Nadeshiko players had compiled great experiences, becoming world champions, we've been eliminated in this Asian qualifying, and I feel that you never know what's going to happen in football. I also feel that our young players still don't have the skills to manage in any situations and still have a lot of room to grow. Not that we need to surpass our senior players, but I think that we need to not destroy what they've achieved. Tomorrow's game is the last one that we will play with this team, so we would certainly like to do our best becoming one and finish it on to pay any means. I would like to keep running and score a goal for the team.

Nadeshiko Channel (Japanese version only)

Schedule

*The schedule and venues are subject to change.

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