On Saturday 12 January, one day before their second group stage match against Oman National Team at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019, Coach MORIYASU Hajime of the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) appeared in the official press-conference held at the match venue in Abu Dhabi, where he stated that he needs his players to “Showcase their full potential.”

After coming through with a close 3-2 victory against Turkmenistan in their first group stage match on Wednesday 9, Japan is currently sitting in first place of Group F. A win over Oman means that they will secure their spot into the knockout stage before their third match against Uzbekistan. Even in case of a draw, Japan is in position to be in the top four teams among the third-place finishers of each group, so they will also advance through. In case of a loss, the third group stage match will determine their fate.

Coach Moriyasu who has mentioned that, “We are expecting a tough match,” also shared his aspiration, “It would be great if we can clinch our spot by winning tomorrow, but our priority is to advance through in any way possible. We will prepare ourselves to give a good performance tomorrow.”

Following their close loss against Uzbekistan in the first match, Coach Pim VERBEEK stated, “We will do whatever it takes” to earn three points against Japan.

Coach Verbeek has the experience coaching for the Omiya and Kyoto side at the J. League, and he has also led the Australia National Team and the Morocco Olympics National Team in the past. Since getting appointed as the Head Coach of the Oman National Team in December 2016, he has led the team to develop a passing style football.

While Japan is ranked 50th in the FIFA Rankings, Oman is currently sitting in 82nd place. Although Japan has the overwhelming advantage in terms of the head-to-head record where they have won eight and drew three in the eleven times they faced each other, it is expected to be a tough match regardless.

Coach Verbeek shared his confidence ahead of their clash against Japan, “The match against Uzbekistan gave us great confidence. We are very compatible with the football style Japan plays, so we are not afraid.”

On the other hand, Coach Moriyasu shared his thoughts about their opponents, “They are capable of initiating both fast breaks and slow attacks. We must be prepared for their counter attacks and to defend with patience at times.”

On this day, both sides have conducted an official training session at the match venue, Zayed Sports City Stadium. The session held by Japan was opened to the media for the first 15 minutes where the players were seen going over their warmup routine while checking out the pitch condition and the atmosphere of the stadium. The session was then conducted under closed doors where the team went over their tactics ahead of the match.

Forward OSAKO Yuya (Werder Bremen), who scored a brace in the first match, along with goalkeeper HIGASHIGUCHI Masaaki (Gamba Osaka) were not seen on the pitch, as they both remained at the hotel to condition themselves due to injuries.

The Japanese Coach mentioned that the two players are most likely out of contention for their match against Oman, but continued to state, “The remaining players and staffs will give their very best to overcome any difficulties and win the next match.”

Veteran defender NAGATOMO Yuto (Galatasaray S.K.) shared his thoughts of the match, “Oman is a very dangerous team that can counter with great speed. But we are also a very good team with great talents. I am confident that we can win.”

Japan’s second group stage match against the Oman National Team will kick-off at 17:30 (22:30 Japan time) on Sunday 13 January.

Coaches and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Following our first match, we were able to prepare ourselves in the best way possible. I want my players to perform to their full potential. We must keep ourselves on the same page to break through the opposing defence line and capitalise on the opportunities we are given. We also must stay alerted for the counter attacks and remain composed as a team to stop the opponents from creating major threats. In the first match, our team showed great improvements in the second half, so we hope to implement that from the beginning of our next match. It will be difficult for Higashiguchi and Osako to play tomorrow, but if everything goes well, they should be back with the team soon. This is the first callup for INUI, MUTO, and SHIOTANI, but I believe that they are capable of fitting and contributing to the team at any given point. We will have to start a new forward tomorrow, but I expect my forward to get involved to our goals and contribute to the team in both offence and defence. It will not be an easy match. We must prepare ourselves to play with great patience.

GK #12 GONDA Shuichi (Sagan Tosu)
The first match has allowed us to realise that this is not going to be an easy tournament for us. Although we will be missing Higashiguchi and Osako tomorrow, every player here is selected as the national team, so we are all capable and ready to contribute to the team.

DF #5 NAGATOMO Yuto (Galatasaray S.K.)
Although we struggled dearly in the first match, we were given the opportunity to learn about the Asian Cup. In the next match against Oman, we hope to implement what we learnt and fight through as a team. It is very important that we win our next match to clinch the round of 16, but for me personally, it doesn’t matter if we advance after two games or three games. The most important thing is that we end up advancing to the knockout stage. We will stay focused and prepare ourselves each match to perform well and earn a victory.

DF #20 MAKINO Tomoaki (Urawa Red Diamonds)
We don’t know just how many, but it is expected that the stadium will be filled with the opposing supporters, so we will do our best to stay composed and play our football. Osako has been a great threat to the opponents, but the new player filling in for him will also showcase a different type of threat, and it is our job to support the forward from behind.

MF #9 MINAMINO Takumi (FC Red Bull Salzburg)
The opponents are always alerted in the space I play in, so the key will be how we approach this space as a team. In our last match, we created many opportunities in the second half. We hope to create more plays facing the goal and taking more shots on target. I am looking to become a threat in the box, not by just taking shots, but by allowing my teammates to play freely around me.

MF #21 DOAN Ritsu (FC Groningen)
In our match against Oman, we hope to make necessary adjustments from our first match. When facing Japan, our opponents tend to make many changes, so we must be able to make the adjustments on the pitch. But first of all, we must focus on entering the match in the right way and to take shots. If we can show our dominance in offence, we can relinquish our opponents’ strengths. Also, if I can take on the opponents one-on-one, we might be able to break through their collective defence. The attacking players on this team are all capable of making individual efforts, so we hope to create distraction to our opponents.

Pim VERBEEK, Coach of Oman National Team
Japan is a very experienced team with great individual talents. They are certainly one of the tournament favourites. This will be a very big challenge for us. We must play to our fullest in terms of tactics and defence to win the match. If there are any weak points for Japan, we must capitalise on it. However, we also have many great players and it will be difficult to score against us as well. Both teams will be asked to show great combinations to break through each other’s defence, so we will see a very interesting match tomorrow. I have great respect to the Japanese team, but I am not afraid of them. We will do whatever it takes to earn three points tomorrow.

Schedule

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Squad, Schedule

AFC ASIAN CUP UAE 2019

Tournament Dates: Sat. 5 January - Fri. 1 February 2019

Group Stage:
Wed. 9 January Kick-off 20:00 (Japan Time)
vs Turkmenistan National Team

Sun. 13 January Kick-off 22:30 (Japan Time)
vs Oman National Team

Thu. 17 January Kick-off 22:30 (Japan Time)
vs Uzbekistan National Team

Broadcasting: Televised Live at TV Asahi Group
BS Broadcasting: Televised Live at NHKBS1

Tournament Information