Moriyasu & Hagi: The Only Goal at Home Against China is to Win

On September 4th, at the pre-match press conference for the away game against Japan in the Top 18 tournament, Japanese head coach Moriyasu and captain Hagi both expressed that their only goal when playing at home against China is to win. Hagi believes that the Japanese team has the strength to secure a victory.

Moriyasu began the press conference by stating that the Japanese team will strive to win against China, “Starting from tomorrow, the Top 18 stage begins. To get through this phase, we have made adequate preparations and will work hard towards our goal of victory.”

Hagi, who attended the press conference with Moriyasu, said that the Top 18 tournament is a long process, “Although it’s a long process, the start is crucial. Our goal is to secure a victory at home against China. Although I know this match will be tough, we believe we have the strength to win. In the previous edition, we lost our first match to Oman, and although this time the first match is against China, it’s different, but we still want to start with a win.”

When discussing personnel arrangements, Moriyasu stated that if Kaoru Mitoma and Junya Ito get the chance to play, he hopes the two can deliver their best performances to help the team.

Additionally, regarding Keisuke Honda becoming an assistant coach for the Japanese team, both Moriyasu and Hagi view it as a positive development, as Honda’s experience can benefit the team. Hagi also revealed that European leagues, including the Premier League, are very interested in Japanese players, and he advises Japanese players to seize opportunities to play in Europe whenever possible.