In the post-match interview after the 1-1 draw at home to Australia in the Round of 18, Japan international midfielder Bea Tanaka analyzed his team's performance and individual play in detail. He confessed that the first half of the match was a bit dull and the team could have been more aggressive, and discussed and improved on his stance with teammate Hidemasa Morita. As it was Tanaka's first time to play in a 3-4-3 formation, he had reservations about the number of attackers against the strong Australian team, taking into account the counter-attacking ability of the opponents.
During the game, Bea Tanaka tries to create attacking opportunities by pulling to the side. He explained that when the opponent's wingbacks follow him, the opponent's backline becomes four, at which point he can take advantage of the gap between the opponent's double backs to attack. However, as the team's shadow winger stands taller, it is difficult to pass a direct ball in, so he needs to pull more to the side and wait for the opponent's defense to retreat after Mitaka or Nakamura Keidou move forward before choosing to insert himself into the penalty area or wait patiently. Bea Tanaka believes that this option needs to be utilized better and says that he personally needs to do more to increase the number of chances he creates.
For the second half of the game, Bea Tanaka thought the play was more fluid. When the opponents also used a 3-4-3 formation, they adjusted their stance and felt the effect. Bea Tanaka said that if they can continue to do this, the quality of the team's play will improve, which is an exciting part of the future. Finally, he mentioned his strengths of being able to play on the wing and at the back, and hopes to communicate better with Hidemasa Morita to make soccer more interesting.
