In this interview series “Reflecting on the FIFA World Cup™,” we talked to players who played in the FIFA World Cup™ as a member of the SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team). In this first article, we interviewed INAMOTO Junichi, who played in three World Cups (2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan™, 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™) and KONNO Yasuyuki, who played in two World Cups (2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™).

※This interview was conducted online on 28 September 2022

Read Part One

We have a chance to win, I believe in the potential of the Japan National Team

――In 2010, four years after the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™, you both competed together in the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

INAMOTO　In my case, I thought it would be my last World Cup because of my age. I wanted to be part of the team, but I was thinking more about what was best for the team. I was 30 years old at the time and was considered a veteran in the national team. That is why I was always conscious of creating a good atmosphere to bring the team together, regardless of whether or not I was playing on the pitch.

KONNO　I was determined to make the 23-man roster at all costs. Personally, I had special feelings because it was my first World Cup and also because coach OKADA Takeshi was leading the team. In my first year as a professional player, I was coached by him at Consadole Sapporo (now Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo) where he taught me “what it takes to be a professional player,” so I really wanted to give back to coach Okada.

――What was your relationship like at the time?

INAMOTO　I don't think we spoke about anything special, but we were both sitting on the bench with the reserve players having a lot of fun together.

KONNO　Inamoto-san was the type of person who was always at the centre of the conversation. I was the one listening and laughing. I would occasionally try to be funny when asked to speak. I have talked with Inamoto-san, too, but I guess he doesn't remember me because I couldn't say anything interesting. (laughs)

INAMOTO　Is that so? (laughs)

KONNO　I am a shy person, so I didn't go and talk to Inamoto-san directly. However, I did keep an eye on how he practised and how he spent his free time, because I have admired and respected him since the Sydney Olympics.

――The team made it through the group stage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ and came close to advancing to the quarterfinals.

INAMOTO　I think it was important that we won our first match (against Cameroon, 1-0). We had struggled in the training matches just before the tournament, so it gave everyone confidence, including the team staff.

KONNO　When we scored the first goal in the first half, there was a lot of excitement on the bench. Everyone was focused and no one was letting up defensively. It made us feel like we had a shot.

INAMOTO　That is why, when we lost to Paraguay in a penalty shoot-out at the round of 16, I felt a sense of sadness that we would no longer be able to play with this team. On the other hand, it also reminded us how hard it is to reach the top eight. It was a small difference, but it made me think that we needed to work even harder to overcome that barrier.

KONNO　I was watching from the bench and thought the match against Paraguay was the most winnable match. I wish we could have finished the match within 90 minutes. Our opponent in the quarterfinals would have been Spain, so I wanted to see how our team would have fared against them at the time.

――Did the experience gained in South Africa help in the upcoming 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™?

KONNO　It was a completely different tournament, as my position in the national team was different. I was confident of the fact that I had contributed to the team's success in the Asian qualifiers, and I was planning to play as a mainstay of the team in the tournament.

INAMOTO　The playing style was also different from the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The team displayed a dominating football style from the Asian qualifiers, where they produced good results. However, watching from the outside, I thought the wheels fell off after losing the first match in the World Cup. (HONDA) Keisuke had publicly stated that they were aiming for the title, but what happened after losing the first match?

KONNO　The attacking players, especially Honda, were quite confident in their abilities, so they kept telling the team that we needed to press from the front and be aggressive. Coach Alberto ZACCHERONI was also a very attack-minded coach, but he always instructed to leave an extra player at the back to hedge the risks, but from the second match onwards the mindset changed to “we don't need an extra player at the back.” We had to fight with a different style of defence, and it would have been nice if us defenders could have handled it better, but the reality was very difficult. The third match against Colombia was really scary. There was no support while there were plenty of space to cover. It was a tough 90 minutes.

――Lastly, could you give a message to the players competing in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™?

INAMOTO　I think we are in the toughest group of the seven World Cups we have competed in, but it must be a worthwhile challenge for the players. Even if you are distracted by the voices around you, if you believe in your teammates, the team staff and the fans and supporters, good results will come. Please do your best until the end.

KONNO　I feel like there are a lot of players with great ambition on this squad. I can tell that many of the players cannot wait to make a case for themselves to leave a mark and move to a big club. That is why I am looking forward for a good result from this team. I think we have a chance to beat Germany and Spain and I believe in the potential of the Japan National Team.

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™

Tournament Dates: Sun. 20 November - Sun. 18 December 2022
[Group Stage]
1st Match: Wed. 23 November 16:00 [Local Time] vs Germany National Team
2nd Match: Sun. 27 November 13:00 [Local Time] vs Costa Rica National Team
3rd Match: Thu. 1 December 22:00 [Local Time] vs Spain National Team

Tournament Information

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