Two days ahead of their match against the Hong Kong National Team at the EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2019, the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) held a training session on Thursday 12 December.

The evening session lasted about an hour and a half, where the starting members from the China PR match went through a recovery menu, while the remainder of the team spent their time conducting passing and shooting drills to go over their attacking plays.

During one of their drills, the team utilised the width of the field to keep the ball moving before sending the final pass to their attackers, as players like OGAWA Koki (Mito HollyHock) and NAKAGAWA Teruhito (Yokohama F・Marinos) repeatedly took shots at the goal. Following the training session, UEDA Ayase (Kashima Antlers) mentioned, “We cannot get our timings right by just talking, so it is important that we make the adjustments on the pitch.” The Japanese striker, who also plays for the U-22 team, continued by sharing his aspiration, “I am just focused on giving my best efforts when I am given the opportunity.”

In their second match of the tournament, Japan will face Hong Kong, who have won through the qualifiers against DPR Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Mongolia to make their first appearance at the E-1 Football Championship since 2010. The team is led by coach Mixu PAATELAINEN, who assumed the coaching role in April. Despite losing their first match 0-2 against Korea Republic, the team showed sharp counterattacks from their solid defence.

Hong Kong is currently competing in the second round of the World Cup qualifiers against Iran, Iraq, Bahrain, and Cambodia. The team is currently ranked fourth in their group with a record of one win, two draws, and two losses. After watching Hong Kong’s first match against Korea Republic, MIURA Genta (Gamba Osaka) described the opponent’s impression as, “Compact and sharp.” The defender continued by mentioning, “We need to find ways to break down their defence while keeping in mind to manage the risks of their counterattacks.”

Defender KOGA Taiyo (Kashiwa Reysol) also shared his take on the match, “Our opponent has many players with great speed. We must keep our focus and make the adjustments accordingly.”

The SAMURAI BLUE will hold another training session on Friday 13, before facing the Hong Kong National Team on Saturday 14 at Busan Gudeok Stadium.

Players' Comments

GK #12 KOJIMA Ryosuke (Oita Trinita)
While NAKAMURA started in the first match, all three goalkeepers must anticipate for the opportunity to play at all times. We may see the team play either a four-back or a three-back system, and our strategy and positioning may change according to the system, but the fundamental aspects will always be the same, so I will focus on getting the basics down. I feel like I am a well-rounded player, so I hope to polish on my strong points to become a better player.

DF #5 MIURA Genta (Gamba Osaka)
After entering our first match without proper trainings, it was great to see us communicate with each other to earn a positive result. However, we saw plenty of room for improvements in both offence and defence, so we must make the necessary adjustments ahead of our next match. Many players were having a difficult time adjusting to the three-back formation, but now that we have played a match, I am sure we can showcase a better performance next time.

DF #19 SASAKI Sho (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Through our first match against China PR, I was able to understand how this team wants to play football. With that in mind, I hope to showcase a performance that can help our attacking players create more opportunities upfront. If Hong Kong were to tighten up their defence in the central area, our attacks from the flanks will become effective and the set-plays will play a key role in the match, so we will prepare ourselves thoroughly for this match.

DF #21 KOGA Taiyo (Kashiwa Reysol)
Although we have won our first match, it will not mean a thing if we don’t win all three matches, so we must continue to play with the responsibility and commitment in the following matches. It is important that we enter the match against Hong Kong with great intensity. I will be playing with players I normally don’t play with, so I must actively communicate with my peers to manage the risks. By watching yesterday’s match against Korea Republic, Hong Kong is capable of initiating very sharp counterattacks, so that is an aspect we must keep our eyes on.

Schedule

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

EAFF E-1 Football Championship 2019 Final Korea Republic

Tournament Dates: Tue. 10 - Wed. 18 December 2019
Tournament Venue: Busan Gudeok Stadium/Busan Asiad Main Stadium (Korea Republic)
Participating Countries: China PR, Japan, Hong Kong, Korea Republic

Tournament Information

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