[World Cup]Manager Moriyasu “I remembered Doha in the last minute or so” press conference after victory over Spain (December 2, 2022)

In the FIFA World Cup 2022, Japan earned a historic 2-1 come-from-behind victory over powerhouse Spain, and qualified for the knockout stages. After the match, Japan national team coach Hajime Moriyasu held a press conference. Q: What do you think after the match? Moriyasu: First of all, I knew from before the match that it would be a very difficult and tough match against Spain, who have the highest level of ability in the world. Even after conceding a goal, the players tried to be patient and tenacious, and to go with their own flow. In the first half, we played tenaciously and patiently, and it was because of the players who connected us that we were able to move offensively in the second half. First of all, the players will change their minds from this match against Costa Rica and prepare in the best possible way. I think you’ve done it. And I believe that this victory was possible thanks to the support of the local supporters and the people of Japan. I am happy to deliver the victory to the people of Japan. Q: In the final stage, if you catch up, you won’t be able to break through the GP. Has the Doha tragedy crossed your mind? Moriyasu: The flow of the match at the other venue was included as information one by one. In the situation where Costa Rica was winning, and while listening to Germany’s situation, we had to win, and there were situations where we could have drawn halfway through, but in the end we decided that we would not win in the group stage. I was fighting because there was no breakthrough. The point of the question is, at the last minute or so, my memory of Doha came out. But just at that time, the players were positively going to steal the ball, and I thought, “Oh, the times have changed,” and, “The players are already playing in a new era.” I thought about 1 minute and 30 seconds later. Q: How do you feel about Coach Moriyasu’s style of formulating a strategy together with the players? Moriyasu: Two days before the game, I was thinking about a different plan, and when I checked it out a little during practice, the players were talking about various things, and I myself haven’t decided on a tactical plan yet. We tried it out in practice, and when the practice was over, our staff had several options, and while the players were discussing various things, the captain told us the options. Among the various options, today’s form was confirmed as a team on the pitch in yesterday’s practice, and the players put it into practice today. First of all, I think that the players put into practice the idea of ​​defending well even when the opponents hold onto the ball in a 5-4-1 situation, so that good defense leads to good offense. Think about the options as a whole team. Q: Concerning the VAR decision that led to the second goal Moriyasu: First of all, regarding the goal, we were fighting to win, so I think we achieved our goal. As for whether the line is crossed or not, I think that in modern soccer technology, if it was really crossed, it would have been a goal kick. While I was thinking of accepting the goal, I think that the goal is definitely a goal. Q: Your message to Asia, who must be proud of Japan’s victory. Moriyasu: First of all, for both Asia as a whole and Japanese football, you said that you were able to win against Germany and Spain, who are in the top group of the world’s highest peaks. It seems to be said that it is glad if thing leads to big confidence and thinks. Of course, I think there are still many things I have to learn, but I think that Asia can win on the world stage, and Japanese football can win on the world stage. I hope that I can share my joy and confidence with everyone in the Japanese football family. Q: What kind of words did you say to the players at halftime to bring out their performance in the second half? However, even in the 0-1 situation (and the situation where we were trailing), we said before the game, “Let’s end the first half with patience.” I did.” Then, two players who worked hard in the first half will be replaced, and in the second half, “We will turn to attack more,” and “In the second half, we will try to score more goals so as not to concede any more goals.” I told the players about it. In the first half, we were able to create a good shift from defense to offense, but it ended in a one-shot, so I told them to try to score the last goal while tenaciously continuing to attack after winning. Q: It seems that you were aiming for a counter-attack, but were you able to catch them off guard? Moriyasu: Regarding the counter-attack, let’s assume that Spain will hold the ball and use the space behind them. First of all, I told my players that I would like to create time to hold the ball, not just counterattacks, while thinking that moving from a good defense to a good offense should be my number one priority. . Spain’s pressure was quite fast, so it didn’t go well, but in the first half, we were able to hold back and move on to the counterattacks. Q: Did you learn something from Nadeshiko Japan, which has won the World Cup? There is a point where Japan can absolutely make use of its technical capabilities in order to win the world, and the part where as a team they will tenaciously fight while erasing the opponent’s good points, Spain is not a team that attacks with height. However, I learned from Nadeshiko (Japan) that each player should play responsibly in front of the ball and quickly react to pick up loose balls to make them their own. Even when they move, they can cooperate and work together as a team, and they can counterattack and keep the ball. Q: Regarding the use of Tomiyasu Moriyasu: First of all, when we took the lead, we were thinking of getting Tomi (Tomiyasu) to help us out in the final game. In particular, I was very worried about the appointment. The reason is that the three CBs in the first half had received yellow cards, so it was difficult to decide how much we should hold back and the possibility that someone might be sent off. The reason why I decided to make the substitution was that Spain were trying to play a card that would strengthen their offense on the left side, and we wanted to solidify our defence, receive the opponent’s attacks, steal the ball and switch to offense. I used it with a purpose.
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