On Monday 20 August, one day ahead of their match against the Vietnam Women's National Team, the Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team) held an afternoon training session.

Prior to their training session, the team conducted a video session where they watched tapes of their previous encounter against Vietnam at the AFC Women's Asian Cup held in April, as well as the recent match between Vietnam and Thailand at this on-going tournament. The players went over the analysis of Vietnam’s tactical approach as well as the key players and shared how to respond against them as a team.

The training session took place under a cloudy weather, allowing the players to train under a slightly cooler temperature than usual. The first 15 minutes of the session was opened to the media, while the remaining hour or so was held behind closed doors, as the team went over their tactics and set-plays for the Vietnam match.

Here in Palembang, the match venues for each sport are adjacent to the athletes’ village, allowing the players to walk to the venue or take the shuttle bus to go watch other sport matches. Numbers of the Nadeshiko players were seen spending their spare time to visit the match venues. On this day, MOMIKI Yuka and HASEGAWA Yui spent their time to watch tennis as they seemed to be getting new inspiration from the matches. Following the opening ceremony of the Asian Games, the athletes’ village celebrated the arrival of new athletes each day, building an exciting vibe throughout the village.

The Nadeshiko Japan will play in their second match of the Asian Games against the Vietnam Women’s National Team on Tuesday 21 August, with a kick-off time of 17:00 Japan time.

Coach and Players’ Comments

TAKAKURA Asako, Coach of Nadeshiko Japan (Japan Women's National Team)
We cannot underestimate the strengths of Vietnam, as they have beaten Thailand, who has developed into a major force in the recent years, with a score of 3-2. They have players with great speed upfront, and the match will be a tough match without a doubt. With that being said, our job is to play our usual football and display the Nadeshiko Japan style, regardless of who we face.

MF #10 MOMIKI Yuka (Nippon TV Beleza)
We were given four days to prepare ourselves for our second match against Vietnam, and I have been focusing to prepare myself physically and to condition my body during this given time frame. In our match against Vietnam, we must strive to win as a team, while we make the necessary adjustments from our last match. The quality of our decision makings as well as our positionings will be a key factor in this match. Personally, I would like to initiate the rhythm of our attacks and contribute to our team by scoring goals. The Asian Games has final begun and I had the opportunity to watch the tennis matches of HOZUMI Eri in the women’s singles match, and the men’s doubles match where UESUGI Kaito and SHIMABUKURO Sho were featured. The Japanese players won in both matches, and I was inspired so much. It made me want to win our next match even more. I’ve never been in a situation where we are all in on the same boat as a country, and it is very refreshing.

MF #13 NAKASATO Yu (Nippon TV Beleza)
During these four days following our match against Thailand, I have been training while visualising myself playing in our second match against Vietnam. I have focused on how to earn the opportunity and how I would play if I was given the opportunity. The team has already secured a spot into the final round, but we must strive to earn the best result possible while performing in a way that can have a positive influence on our next match. At a personal level, I will give my best to contribute to the team victory while showcasing my strong points. I have been given the opportunity to observe how other countries’ players play and approach their sport, and it has given me great inspiration. I am very thankful to be given the opportunity to surround myself in such environment, and I am committed as a member of the Japanese athletes to leave a good result at this tournament.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

The 18th Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang

Tournament Dates:Sat. 18 August - Sun. 2 September 2018

【Women's】Group Stage
1st Match Thu. 16 August 20:30 [Japan Time] vs Thailand
2nd Match Tue. 21 August 17:00 [Japan Time] vs Vietnam

Tournament Information