On Thursday 3 October, coach MORIYASU Hajime of the U-22 Japan National Team announced the squad ahead of their Brazil Tour scheduled to take place this month. With the team in the midst of their journey towards the Tokyo Olympics, coach Moriyasu shared his aspiration for this tour, “Through this tour, we hope to reach a higher level, both as a team and as individuals.”

For this tour, where the team is scheduled to face the U-22 Brazil National Team on Monday 14, coach Moriyasu named familiar faces such as, MIYOSHI Koji (Royal Antwerp FC/Belgium), NAKAYAMA Yuta (PEC Zwolle/Netherlands), and SUGIOKA Daiki (Shonan Bellmare), while players like OGAWA Koki (Mito HollyHock), TANAKA Ao (Kawasaki Frontale), and TATSUTA Yugo (Shimizu S-Pulse) made their return to the team following their call-up at last month’s North/Central America tour.

Three players received their first call-up at this age category, as WATANABE Tsuyoshi (FC Tokyo), MESHINO Ryotaro (Heart of Midlothian FC/Scotland), and SUGAWARA Yukinari (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands) joined the squad for this tour. Regarding his selection of these new players, coach Moriyasu stated, “Each player has their strong points, so I want them to showcase their full potential while adapting to the team concept.”

In regard to this tour to Brazil, the Japanese general mentioned, “By facing strong teams, we want our players to know where they currently stand in the world and nurture motivation to strive for higher levels.” He also demanded strong fighting spirits from his players, “Regardless of who we face, I need our players to enter the match with a strong intention to win the match and fight with a sense of commitment.”

The U-22 Japan National Team will depart Japan on Sunday 6 October. The team will train in Brazil, before playing a training match against U-20 Sao Paulo FC on Thursday 10, followed by an international friendly match against the U-22 Brazil National Team on Monday 14.

Coach MORIYASU Hajime's Comment

At this Brazil tour, we will be given the opportunity to face Sao Paulo FC and the Brazil National Team. This tour should help our players gain a precious experience ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, as we will be striving to reach a higher level both as a team and as individuals. We have faced Brazil at Toulon but facing them in Brazil is a different story. By facing strong teams, we want our players to know where they currently stand in the world and nurture motivation to strive for higher levels. Regardless of who we face, I need our players to enter the match with a strong intention to win the match and fight with a sense of commitment. In this math against Brazil, we hope to showcase our determination that we are going to fight with everything we’ve got and do whatever it takes to win the match.

Schedule

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

International Friendly Match - Brazil Tour

Dates: Sun. 6 - Mon. 14 October 2019

Tour Information