On Saturday 18 August, the U-21 Japan National Team held their final training session, one day ahead of their third group stage match against the U-23 Vietnam National Team.

The morning session started up with players warming up, followed by passing and ball control drills. The session then went behind closed doors as the team walked through their game tactics. Japan is seeking to advance through to the knockout stage as the group leaders in Group D, but currently shares the top spot with Vietnam, as the two teams holds exact points, goal differential, and total goals scored. If their head-to-head match ends in a tie, under tournament regulation, the rankings will be determined by penalty kicks after the match.

Vietnam was the runners-up at the AFC U-23 Championship 2018 China 2018 held in January. The current team consist those players who played in the AFC U-23 Championship as well as three players registered as the “over-age” slot for this tournament. They have prepared themselves by playing in a tournament against Uzbekistan, Oman, and Palestine in early August, ahead of their arrival to Indonesia. In the group stage, they have beaten Pakistan 3-0, followed by a 2-0 victory over Nepal, and enters the match against Japan with great momentum.

On the other hand, Japan has utilised all 20 players on their roster in the first two matches. Coach MORIYASU Hajime has stated after their match against Pakistan, “We managed to put in a good simulation. We will fight with the entire team.” The coach made it clear that they have intentionally rotated their squad while improving what they lacked in the first match by making the necessary adjustments. With the team facing their third match in a two-day rest following their match against Pakistan, the team trained within the limited time frame, as team captain MIYOSHI Koji mentioned, “We have been continuously sharing our thoughts during the game and communicated regarded the analysis of the match to keep ourselves on the same page. In order to win the matches from here on, the quality of our plays will be essential. We all must reset our minds and head into the battle.”

The third group stage match against the U-23 Vietnam National Team will kick off at 16:00 local time on Sunday 19 August.

Coach and Players’ Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach (U-21 Japan National Team)
We have done everything we can within our power. Our performance has gotten better over the first two matches, so we will continue to strive for the three points while heightening our quality and performance as a team. In the past two matches, we have been able to dominate the ball possession, but against Vietnam, who challenges the ball with great intensity, we must make adjustments defensively and there will certainly be new situations we haven’t seen in our first two matches. We will prepare for those situations ahead of the match.

MF #6 HATSUSE Ryo (Gamba Osaka)
The team has gotten better over the course of this tour, so we would like to continue to improve our combinations. I think we have a system that is very hard for our opponents to play against. We can possess the ball, while anticipating to counter attack when we don’t have the ball. That is why the quality of each plays becomes more important. Earning results at this tournament is crucial for this team, so we will keep that in mind ahead of our next match. Vietnam is a very strong team. We would like to head into the knockout stage by beating such strong team, so we will stay focused ahead of the match.

FW #15 UEDA Ayase (Hosei University)
We have been able to prepare ourselves well ahead of the match. Vietnam was the runners-up at the AFC U-23 Championship, and they are a very talented team, but that is why we cannot lose to them. I failed to score in the match against Nepal, and it was very disappointing, so I will make more runs behind the opposing defenders to score goals. There are many university players (Such as HATATE and MITOMA) who has excelled at this level, and I hope to prove that we all belong here by showcasing our quality of play. In order for the team to win the tournament title, this is a very important match. I will give my best to convert the chances I’m given and lead the team to victory.

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