Nadeshiko Japan, who are preparing for the Asian Qualifiers Final Round, Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016, attended the third day of Osaka training camp on Wednesday 24 February. They held two practice sessions, one in the morning, and the other in the afternoon.

In the morning, the players, who are playing in Japan, did some running for conditioning, while the three players based abroad, who came back to Japan shortly before, practiced passing and shooting in a limited time. They were following the coach SASAKI Norio’s instructions to get used to Japanese pitches again during practice session.

In the afternoon, the team held a session, which was closed apart from the first 15 minutes, at Kincho Stadium, where the Asian Qualifiers Final Round matches will be held. The players checked the condition of the pitch while practicing passing in pairs and in 5-on-5, followed by the last mini-games (three 20-minute periods) before the final team for the coming games will be chosen.

The defender TANAKA Asuna (INAC KOBE LEONESSA) noted with a smile: “it was easy to pass the ball around, as the pitch was wet. It’s a good stadium, with the stands very near.” She also commented about mini games: ”as I did what I could, all I can do is wait and see whether I can remain in the team or not.” 

The coach Sasaki Norio looked back on the positive performances of the players: “although the domestic league season hasn’t started, the players really showcased their abilities in the mini-games.” He also commented, showing his satisfaction with the team’s progress: “the players are getting even better condition since the Okinawa training camp.”

The team will meet the Australia Women's National Team for the first game in five days on Monday 29 February. 

Players' Comments

DF  IWASHIMIZU Azusa (NIPPON TV BELEZA)
As we usually play for different club teams, I’m still adjusting how to play cooperatively with the centre-back. We’re improving our combination through each practice session and a mini game. What’s vital is how much you can move towards the opponent, after preventing their move. I need to ask others to use their bodies to defend, or matches in Asia will be tough.

MF  KAWASUMI Nahomi (INAC KOBE LEONESSA)
Although we haven’t got much longer before the Asian Qualifiers, I think each player showcased her top performance in the mini-games, proving any of us can be on the pitch. I showed off my abilities as well in order to be chosen for the team, while checking in detail with other teammates how to play against the opponent. We focus everyday on practicing and staying strong when we start to attack. As soon as the team is fixed, I’d like to focus on increasing the quality of both attack and defence. We’d like to face the qualifiers as challengers, not champions. I’ll play without fear of risks.

FW  YOKOYAMA Kumi (AC NAGANO PARCEIRO LADIES)
As one of the players, who joined the national team last year, I am responsible for showing that we’ve been improving through each training camp. Since I was called for the Okinawa camp as well, I believe I understand what to do for the team. Playing at the Olympics has been my dream since I was a child. All I need is to practice hard everyday in order to be chosen for the qualifiers. If I cannot remain in the team, it means that I need to improve myself more. I came here as a representative of AC Nagano. So I’d like to learn as much as possible here and bring that back to AC Nagano. 

Nadeshiko Channel (Japanese version only)

Schedule

*The schedule and venues are subject to change.

Asian Qualifiers Final Round (Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016)

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