On Wednesday 15 August, one day after their first match against Nepal at the 18th Asian Games 2018 Jakarta Palembang, the U-21 Japan National Team held a training session in Jakarta.

With the players who played in the match the day before remained at the hotel to conduct recovery menus, seven players were seen attending the morning training session at the training field. Despite the low humidity, the temperature rose up to 35 degrees Celsius and the strong sunlight scorched the field. Players went through shooting drills and ball-works to work up a sweat for about an hour. Coach MORIYASU Hajime mentioned after the session, “Even under this hot weather, it was good that we were able to get some trainings in to get the feeling of the ball.”

Given just one-day rest, Japan will now face Pakistan in their second group stage match. Pakistan has lost their first match against Vietnam 0-3, and their Coach Jose Antonio Nogueira spoke after the match, “Pakistan has made their first international tournament appearance in three years, so this match meant a lot for the team.” Japan will seek to earn three points to lock up their advancement to the next stage, while showcasing their improved team form on the pitch. The match is scheduled to kick-off 18:00 Japan time on Thursday 16 August.

Coach and Players’ Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach (U-21 Japan National Team)
After seeing our first match against Nepal, where we couldn’t convert the goal scoring opportunities as we hoped for, we have kept a mutual understanding that we must be more eager to score goals and to create more scenes where we finish the play by taking a shot. We also must think of ways to create chances against teams who defend deep in their territory, whether by taking long range shots or by adding more layers from the second line. The team has showcased great concentration and prepared themselves well in the first match, so we just need to continue on what we have been doing ahead of our next match. We will give our best and prepare ourselves within the limited time frame to earn three points against Pakistan.

MF #13 IWASAKI Yuto (Kyoto Sanga F.C.)
(Regarding the first match) We managed to keep the ball possession but failed to combine in the final third and faced some tough stretches after we scored the first goal. However, the bright side is that this team has only been together for a short period of time, so we can only go up from here. The players must communicate with each other and make the necessary adjustments according to the situation. I personally would like to show my eagerness to score a goal.

MF #17 KAMIYA Yuta (Ehime FC)
It could be said that the Asian Games are the pathway to the Olympics. I personally think that this is one of the many tournaments that will help me strive to improve myself and become a better player. I still need to show my abilities in the overall offence, while increasing my intensity in defence as well. But more than anything, I need to display my leadership on the field. I must contribute to the team in this tournament and prove that I belong in this team. With the matches coming in short intervals, we must face them one at a time, while communicating with the team more. The tournament will present us with a long pathway, so we must play through the entire tournament while maintaining a good condition.

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

【Men's】Group Stage
1st Match Tue. 14 August 21:00 [Japan Time] vs Nepal
2nd Match Thu. 16 August 18:00 [Japan Time] vs Pakistan
3rd Match Sun. 19 August 18:00 [Japan Time] vs Vietnam

Tournament Information