Ahead of their participation in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia, members of the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) were once dismissed after their match against Ghana on Wednesday 30 May, but following the announcement of the final 23-man roster which took place on Thursday 31 May, the 23 players were reunited on Friday 1 June.

Despite given just a short stint of rest, the players all showed a positive attitude, at the same time showing their strong determination ahead of the World Cup.

At this day, Coach NISHINO Akira appeared in front of the media to announce the two backup players, ASANO Takuma (VfB Stuttgart) and IDEGUCHI Yosuke (Cultural Leonesa), who will be attending the team for the World Cup, making it a total of 25 players departing from Japan on Saturday 2 June. With the possibility of their stay lasting for over a month, the amount of luggage reflected such duration. Their challenge to cap off the works of the past four years has just begun.

The team is scheduled to train in Austria from Sunday 3 June, followed by international friendly matches against Switzerland and Paraguay on Friday 8, Tuesday 12 June respectively. The team will then enter Kazan, Russia on Wednesday 13 June.

Coach's Comment

NISHINO Akira, Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
We were given a short stint to relieve the tension, so we can start off from tomorrow with a fresh mindset. I am hoping the players will maintain their conditions while reuniting. From now on we must take sufficient care of all players including those who hasn’t played in the match. This is a tournament where we cannot compete with just 11 players. It is those players who must change the course of the match within the limited amount of time, and we all must be prepared. (In the match against Ghana) Our team was in a good condition to an extent. Watching how they played in the game, none of the players looked physically out of shape and the players who are coming off injuries will certainly be in their top form (during their stay in Austria). With that being said, we must bring up our intensity level during the first week of stay and heighten our condition as a team.

Schedule

*Local Time
*The schedule is subject to change due to the team condition, the weather, etc.

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia

Tournament Dates: 14 June - 15 July 2018

Group stage
1st Match Tue. 19 June Kickoff at 15:00 vs Colombia National Team (Mordovia Arena)
(21:00 Japan time)
2nd Match Sun. 24 June Kickoff at 20:00 vs Senegal National Team (Ekaterinburg Arena)
(Mon. 25 June, 0:00 Japan time)
3rd Match Thu. 28 June Kickoff at 17:00 vs Poland National Team (Volgograd Arena)
(23:00 Japan time)

For more information