On June 30, local time in the United States, the day after Japan's elimination by Brazil in the Round of 16 at the World Cup, Japanese international Ayase Ueda spoke to Japanese media at the team's training base.

"My heart is full of disappointment that the tournament has ended. Even though I know the journey is over, there's still a sense of unreality."

"Everyone on the team truly believed we had the strength to compete for the championship. Although we lost to Brazil, we were only one step away from winning, and that feeling is very real."

"Personally, this match made me genuinely feel my own progress. I have the physical stamina to play 90 minutes, and even toward the end of the match, I wasn't at a disadvantage competing against world-class center backs."

"I know I still need to improve. The growth I've accumulated over these four years makes it clear to me that I still have room for continued improvement."

"Whether I can do it is another question, but to compete for a championship, as an attacking player, I must possess the absolute individual quality to break down defenses on my own. Team cohesion is Japan's strength, but the best teams in the world have players who can finish a match by themselves, and that's precisely where I fall short."

"In the match, I did play a holding role, but in a deadlock like that, the ability to score through individual effort is essential. Brazil has this quality, and all world-class forwards possess this ability. To defeat stronger opponents, this overwhelming individual quality is a necessity. Both I personally and Japanese football as a whole urgently need to close this gap."

Traducido por IA.

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