Two days before their match against the Tajikistan National Team at the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar Asian qualifiers, the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) held a training session at Dushanbe, Tajikistan on Sunday 13 October. The training session was closed to the media except for the first 15 minutes.

On this day, the players were seen working out at the match venue to get used to the dry climate and the artificial turf. With limited time ahead of the match, the players must prepare themselves within the given circumstance and prepare themselves to showcase their best performance at the match. The team will conduct own more training session on Monday 14.

The SAMURAI BLUE will face the Tajikistan National Team on Tuesday 15 October at 17:15 local time (21:15 Japan time).

Players' Comments

DF #22 YOSHIDA Maya (Southampton FC)
The weather in Tajikistan is a bit dry, but it’s not too hot nor too cold, and the condition of the artificial turf is within our expectation, so we have been able to prepare ourselves pretty smoothly ahead of the match. This is a match we cannot afford to lose, so we must stay focused for the entire match, especially with the long travel and the unusual environment surrounding us. However, we shouldn’t get ourselves worked up about the match too much and try to enter the match as relaxed as possible. We hope to showcase a positive performance and deliver a result that can give energy to those people who have been affected by the Typhoon No. 19. With other sports events also taking place in Japan right now, we hope to encourage the country through the sports community as a whole.

MF #9 MINAMINO Takumi (FC Red Bull Salzburg)
I personally have been able to maintain a good condition, and as much as I would like to score more goals, the team victory is what matters the most, so I will give my best efforts to help the team continue to win more games. Our team consists with many types of players with variety of talents, and each player has been able to showcase their character to help the team earn positive results. My strong point as a player is in my ability to exploit the space between the opponent’s defence line and the defensive midfielders to initiate attacks, so I hope to showcase my ability and get myself involved in our team’s goals as much as possible. Although the environment surrounding these away matches in Asia can be harsh, we still need to win the matches within the given circumstances. Our time is limited ahead of the match, but we will prepare ourselves in the best way possible to earn a positive result.

FW #18 KAMADA Daichi (Eintracht Frankfurt)
We will enter the next match with a full intention to earn three points. I personally have no issues dealing with the long travel, but I still need to make adjustments to the artificial turf. I am called to the team as a forward, so I will focus on getting myself involved in our team’s goals. Japan has many players with variety of talents, and everybody is playing with great confidence. We all understand each other’s character, so regardless of who plays on the pitch, we are capable of showcasing a good performance.

Schedule

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) Squad, Schedule

2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and AFC Asian Cup China PR 2023 Preliminary Joint Qualification - Round 2

Tajikistan National Team vs SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
Match Date: Tue. 15 October 2019, 17:15 (21:15 Japan time)
Match Venue: Republican Central Stadium, Tajikistan

Tournament Information

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