Following Japan's 7-0 thrashing of China in the first match of the 18-team tournament, Japan national team captain Hikaru Endo spoke to the media to share his thoughts on the match and his personal role under the new coach's system.
Talking about goals
Endo Hang first talked about his goal, saying it was a reflection of the success of his team's set piece tactics. "During the game, we had a detailed tactic for set pieces beforehand. When I stood in my position, I knew exactly how to execute the tactic. I'm glad to be able to finish the goal from this position and open the door to victory for the team."
Talking about team tactics
Mr. Endo has his own understanding of the tactic of "concentrating on three people and then rushing out at once" adopted by the team in the game. He believes that this is not a simple individual behavior, but the result of the team's tacit cooperation. "In fact, it's more like a team tactic. My teammates are covering for me, leaving me unmarked. This kind of cooperation makes it hard for opponents to defend and creates more offensive opportunities for us." Endo Hang also said that the team did not let their guard down after the goal, but continued to control the game through passing, gradually increasing the score and maintaining a high level of concentration throughout the 90 minutes, ultimately achieving the goal of shutting out their opponents.
Talking about opportunities under the new coaching system
Speaking about his lesser chances under new coach Slaughter, Endo Hang showed maturity and confidence. He stated that he is not too concerned about the issue as the game of soccer is continuous and opportunities will always come. "There is only one game per week and there will be consecutive games waiting for me when I come back from the national team games. I believe that if I stay in good shape and prepare well, the opportunity will come." Endohang also emphasized his rich match experience and keen sense of the game, "At this age, I have accumulated a lot of match experience. I don't need to worry about match feeling in particular. As long as I have the opportunity to play, I will be able to play at my level in tournaments including this qualifier."
Finally, Endo Air said he will continue to train hard and contribute to the team. "The most important thing is to be fully prepared in my regular training. Once an opportunity arises, I have to go all out to get a good result. I believe that as long as our whole team is united and works together, we will be able to achieve better results."
