Alberto Zaccheroni, the head coach of the Japan national team, met with the press at the team’s base in Itu in São Paulo on 21 June. He told them that he had cancelled the practice sessions for that day and gave the players a day off.

The Japan national team, who are currently at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, lost their first match 2-1 against Côte d'Ivoire and played out a 0-0 draw in their second match with Greece on 19 June. The team is now sitting in third place in Group C with one point after two games. The players are focused on beating Colombia in the last match of the group stage, which would give them a glimmer of hope of making the knockout stage.

With three days to go before the Colombia match, there is reason enough for giving the players a day off. The head coach Zaccheroni noted: ‘I know each player is under pressure. As they’re not satisfied with the previous two games and the variety of reasons for the losses, they might think about things too much and negatively, which is not right. The best way to be released from all that stress is to have a good rest.’ He explained the importance of feeling refreshed mentally by having a day off.

When asked about his feelings towards the Colombia match, he commented: ‘we’ve come this far. What we need at the last moment is concentration and determination. I as well as all the players know what we’ve been practicing for four years and that we deserve more. We’ll focus on the vital things. There are a couple of crucial points we need to adjust. Within the next three days we’ll fix those and get ready in the best condition for our third match.’

On their day off, the players stayed at their base, taking part in voluntary training or spending their time individually. For a change of scenery, they dined out at a churrascaria in Itu.

The team will start training again on 22 and fly to Cuiabá, the host city for the next game, on 23 June.

Comment

Alberto ZACCHERONI, Head Coach
I know the whole team was not satisfied with the previous two games. Although there is more than one reason why we couldn’t show our playing style, I do think something in their minds prevented the players from playing with good speed in those matches. The result of the first match also had an impact on the second match. It’s vital to play as a well balanced team once again, because our team didn’t function properly in those games. We have one more to go. We need to push everything we have, such as our technique, with speed and more accuracy. When I have a chat with the players, I can feel they will do it next time. So, I feel very positive now.

JFA-TV

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