One day before their game against Jordan in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, Japan coach Javier Aguirre spoke about his thoughts on the game at a news conference at the game venue in Melbourne, Australia, on 19 January. ”It'll be a tough game, but we are going to win it,” the Mexican said.

Having beaten Palestine and Iraq, Japan have accumulated six points, three points ahead of Iraq, to stand in the first place in Group D. With a draw or better against Jordan, Japan will book a spot in the quarterfinals.

Yet if Japan lose and Iraq win, Japan, Jordan and Iraq will tied in points earned and face-to-face win-loss records, so there's the possibility left for Japan to be eliminated in the group stage depending on the results and it doesn't certainly give Japan optimism.

”We are not going to do the math,'' Aguirre said. ”We are going to play paying respect to Jordan, and we are not going to play for a draw.”

Japan have faired one win, two draws and one loss against Jordan in the past, but beat in a penalty shootout after the two ended in a 1-1 draw through extra minutes in the 2004 edition of the tourney. In the 2011 edition of it, Japan managed to tie in the stoppage time and ended in a draw. So the two countries have some connections with each other. In the final qualifier for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, though Japan posted a win at home, they got beaten by Jordan away.

As for the current team, Jordan have attempted to develop their own team since last September under head coach Ray Wilkins. ”Our players have shown great reactions so far,'' said Wilkins, who'd played over 80 games as an England national team player. ”We want to play cautiously, and aim to score goals when we have chances.”

”They are an difficult opponent,” Japan midfielder MF KAGAWA Shinji (Borussia Dortmund) said.”They are going to come at against us desperately, and it's not going to be an easy game. We don't care about the past data. Given the circumstance, we just are going to keep our focus to win the game.”
Japan tuned up for the Jordan game, closing their practice except for the first 15 minutes of it.
Midfielder HASEBE Makoto (Eintract Frankfurt) will play his 56th game being the captain of the national team, which is the new record, if he starts in the Jordan game on the 20th. ”We are going to get the win. In order to earn the championship, we will have to beat anyone. We just want to focus on our game tomorrow,”Hasebe said.
Meanwhile, Iran and the UAE played their final group stage games on the day and clinched the quarterfinal berths as the first and second-place, respectively.
The Japan-Jordan match will kick off at 8 p.m. (6 p.m. in Japan time).

Comments

Javier AGUIRRE Head Coach
We are going to have to play a very tough game tomorrow. We've played very good games against Jordan in the latest two games against them. Especially in our Palestine game, we put up our speed and agility. We are going to pay respect to our opponents, but we are not going to play for a draw but to win it. We are not going to do the math. If our opponents will come physically against us, we are not going to shy away. The game is controlled by the referee, and we will play respecting his judgement. Though we've had a short time to prepare, we've firmly progressed for our goals. While it's not too hot and we are given the good pitch condition, both teams should be able to put up a spectacle contest.

GK KAWASHIMA Eiji (Standard Liege/Belgium)
We have not clinched to qualify through the group stage and it's the same for our opponents, and it's going to be a tough game. We will just play as hard as we can and try to have the best chance to post wins even through tough fights so we can qualify through the group stage. Hasebe has grown up as our captain and he understands our team both on and off the pitch, and he can see what we really need to do. That's one of the things that are intriguing about this guy.

MF KAGAWA Shinji (Borussia Dortmund)
Our team have won two games in a row and will be able to qualify through the group stage with one more win. So we have a high motivation and concentration. It will be a key for us to prepare as well as we can. Our opponents have good players and could threat us with their counter attacks, but we are not really thinking of them. It will rather be important to perform what brand of football. If we can get in the game with good conditions and concentration, including our mentality, I believe that we can surely beat them. We want to enter the game with the best preparation we could have and get in the game tomorrow.

MF HASEBE Makoto (Eintracht Frankfurt)
The other side’s defence is tight, persistent and physically strong and they are good at making a counter-attack. Given these points, I suppose we can keep our pace if we can score opener earlier in the game but there should be time for us to be patient. This is not going to be an easy game, I don’t have that bad image about Jordan having won 6-0 in the home and lost away but I am going to go for a win.

DF SHIOTANI Tsukasa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
We have been holding very good training so far, we have a shared feeling of winning all the way by all the team members united. There should be occasions for someone gets injury and receiving a red card, I am going to be keep focused should I have a chance to come off the bench any situation, anytime. Middle East teams usually have a player who can turn the game around. In that case, definitely I am going to stop him. The other side may have an idea of getting a goal for sending long pass if it is lucky, that is exactly when center back has to stop them. I want to play as hard as I can and never stepping back with physically tough player and play as strong as I can for send him flying.

Ray Wilkins, Head Coach (Jordan National Team)
I know Japan have many good players and this is going to be a difficult game but we are all set for it. It is important to show we could stay in the Cup. I want to aim for goal by playing very carefully. Even if we end up in the unfavorable result, Japan are the team with talent. I don’t think it is tragic. It has been only four to five months since new coach takes over and the players are well-accustomed to the different way from what used to be. Since we are going to face the best team, I want our squad to show best performance and create best results.

JFA-TV

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