Midfielder Hasebe Makoto, whose Japanese team have been eliminated in the group stage of the on-going 2014 FIFA World Cup, spoke to the media at the squad's base in Itu, Sao Paulo state in Brazil. He said that younger players would need to be spurred to develop for the Japanese team's further growths.

Samurai Japan ended their World Cup with a 1-2 record as they were routed by Colombia 1-4 in their final Group C match on the previous day, failing to make the second stage for their second consecutive time in the World Cup finals.
''I have yet to get my composure back. (But) with the way we entered in our first match, the entire team go a little nervous and it ended up being big in the end,'' Hasebe looked back.　''(Japan) should inherit their style,'' he pointed out. ''But Japanese football have yet to be matured enough regarding things like how they should enter matches and formidability.''

Hasebe also referred to Alberto Zaccheroni, who had announced to step down as Japan head coach. ''Our coach never put it on our players when we wouldn't come up with positive outcomes but it was on him,'' Hasebe said. ''He prepared us to our best coming in this tournament and we failed to have a result we all wanted. That's on nobody but us players.
''He is a great man with great humanity. Four years ago, he came to the country, where he was completely alien to the language and cultures, but he still did respect the Japanese people. It's disappointing for us that we won't be able to fight with him.''

Meanwhile, Hasebe, who served as Japan's captain in the last four years under Zaccheroni, also insisted that in order for the team to make further strides and developments, they would be inevitable to spur younger players. ''Japan should have a lot more younger powers,'' he said. ''They must grow like they would push me aside, otherwise the team wouldn't have success globally. Of course, I have no intention to give up my position, but I want the younger generation to step up.''
As if he heard Hasebe's high expectations, midfielder Kiyotake Hiroshi made up his mind to take the main role. ''I have a strong determination that the team will have to play around our generation in the Russian edition (of the World Cup in 2018), and we said to each other that we would do our best in four years.''

Comments

GK KAWASHIMA Eiji（Standard Liège/Belgium ）
As I have been on the team working under our head coach in the last four years but we weren't able to show what we wanted to on the pitch, it was disappointing. As for the result and content, too, we weren't able to satisfy those who were watching us play. But we have made assiduous effort to shift from our defensive football to the offensive football we now play and we have some confidence in it. In bigger stages like the World Cup, you have showcase your maximum ability momentarily, but I think that we lacked strong mentality. I believe that we had good preparation, yet maybe it made us be a little conceited.

DF NAGATOMO Yuto（F.C.INTERNAZIONALE MILANO/Italy）
How we entered our first match, we didn't have our links as the whole team at all. We lost the first match, and in the next we were too motivated and had so much pressure, and our linkage was a little inconsistent. There were occasions that we were doing fine in one-one-one situations but we weren't on the same page in the very end. We have to reflect on that, acknowledging that that is our ability for now. We have put all the effort for this tournament in the last four years but it ended so momentarily, and that made me think so many things yesterday. But it felt an extreme honor as a football player to carry Japanese flag in my back to play in the World Cup stage. That is why I would like to post a result we would like to in this big stage next time.

DF UCHIDA Atsuto（FC Schalke 04/Germany）
I've worked in the last four years for these three matches, and it's very frustrating that we didn't live up to our expectations. But there have been more difficult games than this in my football career. So these three matches aren't everything. It feels like you won't get rewarded if you don't have any wins, but when you play this game, you have more opportunities to not be rewarded. Unless you win the championship, you won't get rewarded, and this is how a real fight is all about.

DF KONNO Yasuyuki（GAMBA OSAKA）
We all have carried a high goal, but we didn't come with a result we wanted as a team and I didn't show my own game at all. I think that I could've done better toward the tournament, and you may be able to put it that this is the gap with the world, but I felt I wasn't pushing myself to the maximum. Coach Zaccheroni was tactical on our offence and it was fitting myself and I felt it was interesting. I got to learn how we could get our opponents off-balance.

FW OKAZAKI Shinji（1. FSV Mainz 05/Germany）
(On the game-equaling goal in the Colombia match) Because I was partially responsible on the (first) goal we gave up, and I wanted to avenge for that. We heard during halftime that the Greece game was 1-0, but thought that Cote d'Ivoire wouldn't let the game end like that, so we tried to go offensively to make it 3-1. In myself, it was a huge goal, but we should have done that from our first game. Our coach had a faith in me and kept me in the games, so I wanted to live up to his expectations and wanted to win. The World Cup is my dream. It's clear that I can't be finished as it was.

MF YAMAGUCHI Hotaru（CEREZO OSAKA）
I still have a lot to go individually. It's important for me to become able to play evenly individually, and the team have to get united. I felt we couldn't fight otherwise. I think that we could play as how we usually play more, but at the same time we might have been overeager. I'm not sure if we could have come here without our coach. I hope to be close to become a player that I want to be in four years.

FW KAKITANI Yoichiro（CEREZO OSAKA）
None of our players thinks that he did everything he could. No matter how prepared you are, this is a stage that you couldn't win. But because of the experience we had, I think that I've become stronger mentally. I got impatient as I couldn't really get a chance to play in the games, but when you aren't focused fully like that, that's disgraceful for my teammates, and I was here representing the J. League. (Including their training camp) all the 25 members were united as one. So it's frustrating that we have to leave this place. I would like to make Japan better.