After Japan's 5-0 win over Bahrain in the Round of 18, Japanese striker Kaoru Mitaka was interviewed by the media, giving an insight into his team's tactical execution, individual performance and the direction of improvement for the future.
Kaoru Mitaka first recognized the team's excellent performance with wingbacks and 4-4-2 formation. He said that this tactical arrangement made it difficult for the opponents to fully focus on the defense and created a lot of space for the team to attack. In particular, he mentioned the performance of Yasutoshi Don in the match, saying that Don made good use of these spaces and contributed an important attacking threat to the team. Kaoru Mitaka also recalled how he created openings for his teammates at the far post by drawing in two defenders against China, and although that attack did not translate into a goal, the team has demonstrated this replicable tactical pattern.
Talking about the role of wingbacks running in the box, Kaoru Mitaka said that this tactic would make the opponent uncomfortable and even if the team concedes the ball in the box, they can create new chances in front of the goal by quickly converting the attack. He specifically mentioned Brighton FC's tactical philosophy and said that his performance in the national team matched Brighton's tactical system. He emphasized that while at Brighton he always tried to make the shortest runs in order to create attacking chances, and that this understanding is gradually becoming apparent in the national team.
However, Kaoru Mitaka also pointed out the team's problems in the game. He believes that ideally he should find space to break between the opposing wingbacks and wing forwards, but he failed to do so in this game, resulting in the team matching too much on the wing. He emphasized that the team's goal is to create a threat in more inside areas and therefore needs to improve this in future games. In addition, he mentioned two instances in the second half where the team did not work together well enough, which could have led to the team losing the ball and being countered by the opponents at crucial moments. He believes that despite today's weak opponent, the team needs to take these issues seriously and find ways to improve by watching videos and discussing them.
Speaking about the difference between his personal role in the national team and his club, Kaoru Mitaka stated that he plays as a wingback in the national team and as a wingback at Brighton. He emphasized that the two positions are very different in terms of intensity, stance and way of thinking. As a result, he had to quickly adapt himself to the requirements of the national team and implement the coach's tactical arrangements immediately. He said that this ability to adapt was also crucial for him to maintain his starting position at Brighton. At the same time, he also said that he will continue to face challenges when he returns to the club and will need to keep working hard to improve his performance.
Finally, Kaoru Mitaka emphasized the urgency of the team's need to keep improving when facing strong teams. He believes that the team's chances will become more limited when facing strong teams, so they need to find the best solution to break through the opponent's defense. He believes that through continuous efforts and improvements, the Japanese team will be able to achieve better results in future matches.
