[World Cup]”It’s a great job to carry your country on your back” Maya Yoshida FIFA World Cup Qatar (December 7, 2022)

At the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Japan national team lost to Croatia after a penalty shootout, finishing the tournament in the last 16. One day after the game, Maya Yoshida, the representative of Japan, answered the interview. Q: How do you feel now after the fierce battle? Yoshida: I haven’t slept much, so I haven’t had time to look back. I think it will take time to accept this loss. Q: Yoshida, who fought through the 120 minutes: None of the games were easy, and I think it was a tournament where the strength of the team was fully demonstrated. That’s why I wanted to win another one and see a new view. The biggest regret is that I couldn’t lead you there. Q: Looking back on the moment when you kicked the penalty Yoshida: I can say anything about the penalty afterward, but I think about a lot of things, such as if I should have kicked it more powerfully, or kicked it in the opposite direction, but it can’t be helped. Q: What is the strength of the Japan National Team, which has continued to make excellent progress? Yoshida: There were many games where we were able to fully show our shape and characteristics, and compared to four years ago, the last match against Croatia was by no means overwhelmingly dominated. Not a match. I think it was worth it to be able to play solidly for 120 minutes against the 2nd place team in the previous tournament while fighting enough, and it was a game that made progress. In order to become even stronger from now on, I need the strength to win, and I think I have to acquire the strength to win the match that I have to win here. . Q: How have you been these past four years? Yoshida: If I were asked to do it again, I wouldn’t be able to do it. I’ve tried so many things and put everything on the line, so it’s frustrating. Q: The weight of the captain Yoshida: It was heavy. But I definitely think that it made me stronger, so I am grateful. Q: What kind of team was this Japan national team for Yoshida? I wanted to play soccer with everyone more and more, and I think I wanted to pull another one up. (Leaving the mixed zone once) (Returning and restarting) Q: Were the supporters’ voices heard on the pitch? I think we should be proud of the fact that we were able to excite fans from all over the world, and that we were able to excite fans from all over the world. I am especially grateful to everyone who supported Japan. Of course, there were tough times through the qualifying rounds, and it wasn’t always good times, but many Ultras and other people came to support us, and I wanted to give back to everyone with results. I think Q: As a member of the Japanese national team, what do you think will happen in the future? Yoshida: I haven’t thought about it yet. Because I think. I want to take a moment to calm down and think. Q: Four years after wearing the captain’s armband, how would you like to praise yourself? Yoshida: Being an athlete seems like a glamorous job because the focus is on the really good things, but in reality there are many things that I have to put up with every day and it’s really hard. There are many things. I thought that all of these things were for the sake of achieving results at the World Cup, and I think I can be proud of myself for what I’ve done. However, I didn’t get any results, so it’s frustrating because I think that I can say something only by getting results in the professional world. I think it’s the best job to carry your own country and fight, so I hope that children will also aim for this. Q: What kind of coach was Moriyasu? Yoshida: I’ve been playing soccer for a long time and have met many coaches, but he’s definitely the one I respect the most. I wish I could have won another match and taken the manager to another level. Q: What kind of place was the World Cup for Yoshida? Yoshida: It was Bravo. I will come back again. surely.
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