On June 30 at 1:00 AM Beijing time (CEST), Japan will face Brazil in the round of 16 of the World Cup. On the eve of the match, Japan's coach Hajime Moriyasu attended a press conference. This is the first part of the press conference.

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The round of 16, which is commonly referred to as the knockout stage, has begun in various venues. However, looking back at Japan's performance, the team has attempted to advance past this stage four times but has unfortunately fallen short each time. I would like to ask if you intend to break through this barrier and advance to the next stage tomorrow. Additionally, we have heard similar comments from many players, all saying, "The real World Cup starts now." I sense there is different and more tangible confidence and momentum within the entire team compared to the last major tournament. Could you elaborate on these points?

That's right. How should I put it? With the three group-stage matches concluded, if we speak in terms of successfully advancing to the knockout stage, the result is exactly the same as before. But in the sense that we are pursuing a higher goal, the players can now say to themselves: "The real World Cup starts now."

I believe, first and foremost, that the current situation is the result of continuous development of Japanese football. I think that is the main reason. Although it has always been an extremely difficult battle, and although there are opponents and the game is influenced by them, our first priority is to concentrate fully and exert all our strength, play as well as possible, and exhaust ourselves in pursuit of victory. We must implement this firmly and clearly.

Next, I hope that through these matches we can achieve even greater growth. To firmly grasp victory, we will challenge a truly world-class, top-tier team—Brazil, which has won the World Cup five times—in pursuit of victory. That is the kind of challenge I want to undertake.

Regarding tomorrow's match, since we have entered the knockout stages, I assume penalty shootouts must also be considered. Could you share your thoughts on how you plan to approach a penalty shootout and how you envision handling one? We would appreciate hearing your ideas.

Regarding the strategic approach to penalty shootouts, looking back at the previous World Cup in Qatar, after a cruel penalty shootout against Croatia, we unfortunately had to exit the tournament. Reflecting on that painful experience, at that time, regarding the penalty takers, although we had done our mental preparation and tactical planning up to the point of "pre-deciding who would take the penalties" before the match, the final execution was left to the players to decide themselves—through so-called self-nomination or raising their hands to finalize the selection of penalty takers.

In this tournament, building on the previous approach and taking it further, if the match develops to a point where a penalty shootout becomes highly likely or almost certain, I want to decide the penalty takers in advance. I want to fix them beforehand and even decide the order of each person's penalty kick in advance. That is what I am thinking. This time, we will no longer use the previous method of players spontaneously raising their hands; instead, I will make the final decision at the last moment and personally communicate this arrangement to the players, having them execute the penalties according to my instructions. That is my plan.

Regarding the group stage, I personally felt it was a series of truly brilliant and excellent matches. However, I would like to ask Coach Moriyasu, from your perspective as an observer, regarding the growth of this team overall—what specific areas do you feel this team has progressed or grown in since entering this tournament? If you have noticed any details, please tell us.

Regarding the team's growth, I believe there hasn't been a dramatic change compared to before, but this feeling has become much stronger since entering this World Cup. All the players—every single one—have a strong sense of pride in themselves and firmly believe they are the best in the world in their respective positions.

As each member thinks about playing their part to contribute to the team's final victory and the collective good, regardless of whether they actually play on the pitch, all members unanimously share the idea of doing everything possible for the team's overall interests. How should I put it? The atmosphere of the entire team coming together and fighting as one is, I believe, increasing and improving significantly right now.

Hello, Coach. I would like to ask about player Takefusa Kubo. What is his current physical condition? Did he participate in team training today? We understand he is experiencing knee discomfort and appears to have an injury. What is the specific nature of his injury? Beyond that, do you believe he will have playing time in the upcoming match against Brazil, or can he already be ruled out for match day and confirmed unable to play?

Yes, that's correct. Player Kubo will not be able to play in the match against Brazil. This is because he has not yet rejoined full team training. So far, he has only been doing individual running and personal physical conditioning. Since he can currently only do this level of training and cannot participate in full team coordination, he will not be able to play in tomorrow's match.

All of us are sincerely praying and hoping for his swift recovery and return to the pitch, and he himself is, in fact, very much—yes, he is currently working hard to improve and adjust his physical condition at an extremely rapid pace, with high intensity and significant progress.

Traducido por IA.

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