On Sunday 25 March, SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) held a training session in Liège, Belgium ahead of their match against Ukraine National Team in the KIRIN CHALLENGE CUP 2018 in EUROPE. The training session took place behind closed doors besides the first 15 minutes of the session.

Continuing from the day before, the team was welcomed by warm weather as they went through their running and stretching routine. The session was then closed to the public, as the team went on to go over their tactics.

Defender ENDO Wataru (Urawa Red Diamonds) who participated just partially during the training session held the day before, took part of the entire session, while forward OSAKO Yuya (1.FC Koeln) conditioned himself in a separate session with discomfort in his adductor muscle. Midfielder OHSHIMA Ryota (Kawasaki Frontale) and defender UGAJIN Tomoya (Urawa Reds) were both absent due to injury.

With the upcoming FIFA World Cup Russia in mind, the next match serves as a test match simulating the scheduled group-stage opponent Poland.

Ukraine advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, but failed to qualify for the 2010 and 2014 World Cup. And after trailing to Iceland and Croatia in their group league for the European qualifier, Ukraine has failed to qualify for the World Cup three tournaments in a row. However, they are ranked 35th in the FIFA World Rankings, whereas Japan is ranked 55th.

Since 2016 the team has been led by former Ukraine National Team striker Andriy SHEVCHENKO, and the team has tied against Saudi Arabia 1-1 in Marbella, Spain on Saturday 24 March.

The two teams has faced each other in two international friendly matches, as Japan won the first match in March 2002, while Ukraine has won the second match held in Kiev on October 2005. They have not faced each other ever since.

Although the match will serve as a trial session to finalise the team roster, defender NAGATOMO Yuto (Galatasaray S.K.) alerted the team that their main focus should be elsewhere.

From his experience from 2010 and 2014, Nagatomo commented, “we must not set our goals to just make the final roster for the World Cup. We have to strive for higher goals in order to achieve great results. Each players must believe that we can win at the World Cup, and display their commitment through their plays.”

Forward HONDA Keisuke (CF Pachuca) also mentioned that the team has to play as if this is the real deal. “As long as they have Shevchenko as their coach, they will for sure come out with a winning mentality and give all they’ve got. In that aspect, this is a great opportunity for us to play in a real game situation. Losing is unacceptable, in my mind, we must win.”

The match will take place at Stade Maurice Dufrasne, on Tuesday 27 March with a 14:20 (21:20 Japan time) kick-off time.

Players’ Comments

GK #12 HIGASHIGUCHI Masaaki (Gamba Osaka)
In our last match against Mali, we looked indecisive in where we wanted to apply pressure. The players who were on the pitch probably has their own take on it, but they should play with more flexibility. In situations where we can’t execute what our coach wants, we must stay flexible and take measures suited to the situation.

DF #5 NAGATOMO Yuto (Galatasaray S.K./Turkey)
I don’t want to say it’s negative, but there is certainly a vibe that is not good surrounding us right now. We must play our match against Ukraine in a way that we can dissolve this atmosphere and regain our confidence. We are all feeling the sense of urgency, and we are really talking to each other on how to overcome this obstacle. So, in that sense, this gives us a great opportunity to grow as a team.

MF #7 SHIBASAKI Gaku (Getafe C.F./Spain)
Compared to Mali, Ukraine will present us with higher tactics and techniques. Within the limited timeframe, we must improve ourselves through communication, but at this point we seem to lack that communication. If we can improve ourselves, that would lead us to gain more confidence. In the match against Mali, we weren’t fully prepared mentally, and displayed many individual mistakes. If each one of us can improve, that would allow the team performance to improve as well. So, I’d like to focus on my play to improve the overall quality of the team.

FW #4 HONDA Keisuke (CF Pachuca/Mexico)
It’s very clear that Ukraine is a much stronger team than Mali. Personally, if I get to play on the pitch, I will force turnovers by applying pressure early. We must initiate our attacks from the build-ups, and I must be involved in the final third at least a few times in the match. We also must build an atmosphere that insists on results. In 2010, we held a meeting at the very last minute, telling each other to play tenaciously, and as a result the team got a lot better. It really comes down to the fundamentals, if one player can close down a step, that becomes 11 steps as a team. If we can close down that many steps in every play, we may not concede any goals, and be able to score instead. It’s important to build an atmosphere where everyone can play with confidence.

FW #9 SUGIMOTO Kenyu (Cerezo Osaka)
A player that can score is needed, and I must be able to score when I’m given the opportunity. The final member selection in May is not in my mind right now. I am fully focused on giving all I’ve got in our next match. Good defence leads to good offence, and we must defend as a team. The Ukraine defenders are very physical, but they are not perfect, so we need to exploit their flaws to create chances.

FW #13 KOBAYASHI Yu (Kawasaki Frontale)
Our conditions are not bad. We have many players with great techniques, so we’d like to share our thoughts on how we like to carry and deliver the ball. My team needs me to get involved in goal scoring plays, so I will anticipate on those situations. I have experience playing as a lone striker at my club. Ukraine is a strong team with large players. I would like to physically challenge them and outplay them with my agility.

Schedule

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

SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) vs Ukraine National Team
Tuesday, 27 March 2018 Kickoff at 14:20 local time (21:20 Japan time)
Belgium/Stade Maurice Dufrasne
For more information