SAMURAI BLUE, Japan National Football Team, which aims for winning its second consecutive championship title in the AFC Asian Cup 2015 Australia, started a new year with trainings on the fourth day of the camp in Chiba.

All member of the team including a head coach Javier Aguirre formed into line on the pitch on the first practice day in 2015. MF Hasebe Makoto  (Eintracht Frankfurt/Germany) greeted about 1,000 fans on the stands that came to see team’s first training, saying “I’d like to wish you a happy new year and also ask you to continue supporting us.”

The team did physical training for nearly 2 hours, engaging in the exercise of passes, running, physical trainings to improve the agility as well as shoot practice from each pattern by 3 separated groups. After practice, team players suggested to have a time to write their autographs for about 50 children, mainly elementary school students, on the flank of the pitch.

Hasebe said “We will enter the Asian Cup at the beginning of a new year. As we failed to meet an expectation as National Team in the last World Cup, I will try to bring good performances and the result in the Asian Cup so that we can get expectations and supports again.”

DF SHIOTANI Tsukasa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) also said “I am very happy to be here because I played a match of the Emperor’s Cup on the last new year’s day and I participated　in the National Team’s camp this year. I will try to make more and more efforts not to lose to myself in last year as well as to reach higher level” as his goal.

The team will leave for Australia after holding training on 2 Jan.

Japan has won the Asian Cup title in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011 as well as aims for the second consecutive championship in this tournament.

Players Comments

KOBAYASHI Yu (Kawasaki Frontale)
As I recognize that I am not decided member in the National Team, I have tried to show my strong points in practice session with efforts. I believe what Aguirre’s football is the offence to quickly move forward to the opponent’s goal and the defence to think about plays in areas where a ball isn’t in order not to allow the opponent to make a long pass forward. As I am good at plays in areas where a ball isn’t and aggressive plays, I think his football style fits me. I believe the forthcoming AFC Asian Cup will be difficult one, because Japan is defending champion and that’s why it is required to win the title again, however, I will try to play firmly.

SHIOTANI Tsukasa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
I came to roughly understand what a head coach requires me as this is my third appearance in the National Team, but I want to learn more and more. I believe next one month will be a valuable one, so I try not to waste a single day to learn the philosophy of a head coach and the football that he try to do. We need to be particular about winning the title, as the AFC Asian Cup is a significant tournament. We will have many tough games ahead and I will try to make more efforts. First I aim to play in game and then I will do what I can do for Japan on the pitch with all of my might when I am selected to play. I also believe there will be something what we can do even in the outside of the pitch, if I am not selected to play. I believe we need to do so as a whole team, because this is a very important tournament.

SAKAI Gotoku (VfB Stuttgart/Germany)
I feel happiness to be able to play soccer in the National Team early in the New Year. As there are those who want to play soccer but can’t and this is the place where not everyone can come, I am so delighted to greet the New Year like this. Because we are facing a good chance of the AFC Asian Cup that we will be likely to win the championship of the tournament, my main goal this year is to make contribution to the team for winning that title. I will think carefully about my next goals and I want to make myself a central player of this year, as I am Toshi-Otoko or Person of Year, a man who was born in a year with the same Chinese zodiac sign as the current year. Through engaging in good performances in the team and the National Team, I will make efforts in order to be able to look back this year like “I was Toshi-Otoko” in the end of a year.

ENDO Yasuhito (Gamba Osaka)
All participanting countries aim to be a champion in the AFC Asian Cup, so I believe Japan can’t win the title so easily. Winning the second consecutive championship will be very difficult, but this is also the chance that only our team will challenge. We always want to be on the top of Asia and this is the minimum aim for us. I believe winning the second consecutive championship will be possible, if we are able to bring our best for that goal. The Asian Cup will be also significant time for the team to consolidate itself, as spending such long time as the national team is rare opportunity. The tournament will be good one, if we are able to develop our team while winning games.

JFA-TV (Japanese version only)

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