Victory crucial for Japan's future success, says Yoshida

Abu Dhabi: Success in the final of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 and a record-extending fifth title will give Japanese football a major boost, believes Samurai Blue captain Maya Yoshida as his team prepare to take on Qatar in Friday’s tournament showpiece in Abu Dhabi.

Yoshida was a member of the side that won the title in Doha in 2011 as Japan claimed their fourth - and most recent - Continental crown and the Southampton defender feels another victory would go a long way towards further enhancing the status of the game in his home country.

“I mentioned to the media before the World Cup that this Asian Cup, as well as the Russian World Cup and the Copa America, would be turning points at an important time for Japanese football and if we can get a result here it will get us more attention back home and it will affect the sports culture in Japan,” he said.

“I really want to win this fifth title for Japan because we’re such a good group under a great coach and with great teammates. Now that the team is changing to a new generation, if we can get the title here it’s going to be a big step forward for Japanese football and it will mean something for all of us involved in the team.”

 


Preview - Final: Japan v Qatar

Fewer than half of the squad that represented Japan at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia has remained in place since Hajime Moriyasu replaced Akira Nishino at the helm, with Yoshida one of 11 players in the 23-man squad to have travelled to the UAE.

But despite the recalibration of the line-up, Moriyasu has been able to select players who have attained significant experience playing in Europe, and Yoshida hailed that development as a major positive for the team and for the ongoing improvement of Japanese football.

“Over the last eight or nine years, more and more players are now playing abroad and when we look at the squad for this tournament most them now are playing in European leagues, so we’ve been developing mentally and this is a great asset for Japanese football,” he said.

“I think the young players really enjoyed the atmosphere in the game against (Islamic Republic of) Iran, which was like an away game for us, and I'm really proud of that.”

The cohesion of the squad, claimed Yoshida, has been instrumental in the team’s continuing success as Japan look to maintain the country’s record of having never lost in an AFC Asian Cup final.

“Every situation, in every job the better the team work the better the result will be and I felt this was the same at the World Cup in Russia and at the Asian Cup in 2011,” he said. “I think this is something to be very proud of.

“We also play with responsibility and pride as Japan national team players. I think the team is well motivated and in a very good mood and we have good momentum. We can switch on and off, on the field and off the pitch. Sometimes we are very serious and sometimes we relax and have fun.”

Japan’s win over Iran in the semi-finals came on Monday, 24 hours before Qatar sealed their progress to the final against hosts the United Arab Emirates, and Yoshida thinks the extra rest could be a key factor in determining the title’s destination.

“We’ve played six games in a short period of time, so the conditions have been tough but Qatar have had fewer days than us to prepare for the final so it will be tougher for them,” he said. “So we have no excuses and we’ll be in our best condition tomorrow.”


Source: the-afc.com