In the 4th round of the Asian zone of the World Qualifying Tournament on October 12, Japan defeated Australia 2-1, bringing their first defeat to their opponents. During the playing of the national anthem before the match, Japan's skipper Mori Boichi's emotional outburst was captured by the cameras, and he revealed after the match that it was because the anthem had touched him deeply.
Mori Boichi said: "Every time the national anthem plays, I feel overwhelmed with emotion and pride. Today, I have the honor to lead the team to play in Japan's home field. Seeing the national flags all over the field and feeling the support of the crowd, I couldn't help but get wet when the national anthem was played. Despite the pressure of the game and the grueling process, the joint efforts of the players and staff have prepared us well. I believe the players have mastered how to capitalize on their opportunities."
Responding to the 4-2-3-1 formation adopted for the match and the decision to start Bea Tanaka, Morihoichi explained, "We chose players who have performed well in training and matches to play to our strengths. It was a tough game and the result was different from what I expected. The players didn't give up and stayed in high spirits and gave their all at every turn in order to qualify for the World Cup. I think it was our total commitment to the game that won us the victory today. This win means a lot, but we have six more games waiting for us and I'm now looking forward to getting ready for the next one."
After leading his team to victory, Ichiro Moriho became a hot topic again. After losing in the last round, he was also put on the hot search, "Morihoichi's dismissal" became a hot topic for a while. After four rounds of matches, the Japanese team won two, lost two and accumulated six points, temporarily placing third in the group.
