The Japan national team completed their training camp in Ibusuki, Kagoshima Prefecture, for the 2014 FIFA World Cup on the 25th May.
During the early portion of the final day of the training camp, which was open to the media, the team was divided into two groups, one worked on their physical menus while the other had a training using the ball on the pitch. The latter group included players like defender Nagatomo Yuto, midfielder Kiyotake Hiroshi and forward Okubo Yoshito, and they checked on their moves at throw-ins with their respective training partners. And then in the portions that were closed to the media, they worked on some other menus, including intra-squad games, for about two hours.
''(The training camp) was very tough, but it was what we needed and we could work on the menus in cheerful and energetic but serious manners,'' midfielder Hasebe Makoto said, looking back on the five-day training camp.
''It's been a satisfactory training camp. As for my physical tune-ups, because we are shooting for our first game in the tournament, it's not there yet. It will be depending on how much we get in (the tournament) in better conditions,'' forward Kakitani Yoichiro said, indicating that the players would still intend to continuously improve their physicality.
Meanwhile, defender Sakai Gotoku, who hurt his right knee during the previous day's practice, had that part checked at a Kagoshima Prefecture hospital. He had a light inflammation there, so he worked on core body training at the hotel, instead of taking the field on the final day. Afterwards, his pain was gone, so Sakai would look to reunite with the team by going through trainings including one using a bike from the next day.
As all the schedule the team completed in Ibusuki, they left the the hotel while so many fans sent them off, and flew back to Tokyo.

Jersey numbers announced at send-off event

Upon their arrival at Haneda airport, the team was directly headed to Yoyogi National Gymnasium to attend a send-off event.
Welcomed by a crowd of 7,261, the players appeared from the rear part of the gymnasium and walked up to the center stage along with the escort kids, exchanging high fives with the fans.
''I hope that you all give boost to us, who are getting into some adventure, from the bottom of your hearts. I want you all to be proud of this team as Japanese citizens and I am one of you that's proud,'' coach Alberto Zaccheroni told the crowd.
At the event, support flags with messages from the fans and supporters and 77,614 blue ribbons that were collected for praying the best wishes for the Japan team were introduced. ''We carry a lot of things in our back as we fight in Brazil. Let's fight with us,'' Hasebe Makoto spoke to the participants. Also, the jersey numbers for the 23 players were revealed. Okubo, who returned to the national team for the first time in two years and three months, was given No. 13.
After the send-off event, the team moved to Saitama, where they would play against Cyprus in the Kirin Challenge Cup on the 27th. After a tune-up on the 26th, they will get to play their final match in the country before the World Cup.

Comments

MF KIYOTAKE Hiroshi（1.FC Nürnberg／Germany）
I think that it was a tough training camp, but we were able to do it with high spirits and energy, keeping our good conditions, so we had good preparations. We mainly worked on our physicality, but also we could understand our basics of this team through this camp, so we now only need to exhibit them on the pitch, keeping those basics. Our coach has always said that we are going offensively not defensively, and we players understood the ways to get our opponents off-balance that coach has in his mind better. There are diversities on the pitch, but it's the best that we can adjust to them accordingly.

DF KONNO Yasuyuki（GAMBA OSAKA）
It was a tougher training camp that I had expected it would be. We were able to work on our physical strength, basic offense and basic defense with good balance. As we have played in the last four years under coach Zaccheroni, now we have become more offensive than before. We want to deepen our understanding of our tactics and contribute to the team as a part of the team (in the remaining preparation period).

DF NAGATOMO Yuto（F.C.INTERNAZIONALE MILANO／Italy）
We have discussed about so many different things with my teammates. We have good tense while we can relax and I think we have the good balance on that. Compared with the team of four years ago, our team have gotten stronger and I have made growths personally as well. I have so much high expectations for myself, too. I am looking forward to the tournament. First off, we want to have the best preparation we can have for our first game against Cote d'Ivoire.

DAINI Kuniya, Japan Football Association President
There won't be any easy game to win for us. We first look to qualify through the group league and then seek a better outcome than the previous tournament, putting up the best, original football in Japanese way in Brazil, which has contributed to the development of Japanese football and has so much ties with us.

Schedule

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