NEWS

Following Japan’s 1-0 win against Uzbekistan at Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent on Saturday night, Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura said qualification for the World Cup was the result of his team’s strong efforts and mental strength.

“This is a product of hard work by all the players and coaching staff,” Nakamura stated.
“There are no easy opponents and Uzbekistan were desperate. We were having a hard time playing away and with the refereeing and we struggled in the second half. But we stayed cool and kept going, and earned the three points. That was the biggest thing. We showed mental toughness and good patience.”
“Personally, I also felt a sense of accomplishment as I had extra pressures and responsibility,” Nakamura added.
“Through my experience of playing abroad and having worked with [former Japan coach Ivica] Osim, I now understand that it’s not enough to just play my own game; you also need to work on defense with your teammates.”
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has said he wants to reach the semifinals in the world’s most prestigious single-sport event.
Asked what the team can do in the run-up to the finals in South Africa in order to achieve such an objective, Nakamura responded: “You cannot expect to improve your individual skills dramatically in the space of a year. So, you carry on working on the stuff you’ve been working on all along and try to improve the quality of that.”
The Celtic midfielder continued: “Playing against stronger sides would be good, too. I think we can move in a positive direction if each of us on the team follows the same line and shares the same vision.”
“The World Cup is a tournament that is at a different level. I’ve got to work hard not to lose my place.”
Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki, who scored the crucial goal in the ninth minute of Japan’s win over Uzbekistan, was a happy man with his goal and the result.
“I was happy to score the goal,” Okazaki said. “I may have had some luck, but that was a special goal. With that goal, I felt I had become part of this team.”
Okazaki has scored seven goals in his 12 appearances for Japan, including three strikes in the Kirin Cup at the end of last month.
“Because I scored goals in the Kirin Cup, I thought I might be criticized if I didn’t score here,” he said.
Regarding the finals in South Africa, he commented: “I think we can develop our possibilities if every one of us improves his game.”
Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki, who made several crucial saves against Uzbekistan, said, “I’m glad that in some way I was able to help our team qualify for the World Cup.”
“Overcoming the difficult time at the end of the game will bring us confidence. We never doubted our abilities even when we were having a hard time. We never gave up, which led us to this result,” Narazaki added.