Rio de Janeiro: The Japanese Olympic football team has arrived in Brazil full of confidence ahead of Rio 2016, according to new Arsenal signing Takuma Asano.
Japan, winners of the 2016 AFC U23 Championship – which doubled as the Olympic qualifying event – landed in the Brazilian state of Sergipe after a marathon 40-hour journey from Asia.
21-year-old striker Asano said the team’s arrival in Brazil, coupled with the words of coach Makoto Teguramori, have underlined the importance of the coming matches.
“I am getting highly motivated,” Asano said.
“Before the workout, our coach said, “we get to play football because of support from all kinds of people including our local communities. Let’s work hard for them as well”, (and) that’s so true.
“We are getting support from many people, so I want to play for them, representing Japan.”
One of just three players – along fellow forwards with Yuya Kubo and Takumi Minamino – in Japan’s squad who play their club football in Europe, Asano also noted the importance of the Olympics tournament as a global platform for talented players.
“It is a tournament where the whole world is watching and we can showcase ourselves,” the former Sanfrecce Hiroshima man said.
“I want to show the world what I can do by scoring goals and helping my team win.”
Japan coach Makoto Teguramori said the grueling journey from Japan to Brazil had made success in the tournament all the more desirable.
“We have travelled this fair, so we never want to waste this trip by achieving nothing. This travel has been long enough to make me feel that way,” the 48-year-old boss said.
“We are not just here to experience the Olympic Games, but to get results.”
The team’s preparations continue with a training match against local club C.S. Sergipe on Wednesday, before a friendly against host nation Brazil on Saturday.
The Samurai Blue’s Olympic campaign gets underway in the distant Amazonian city of Manaus, with a match against Nigeria on August 4.
Source: the-afc.com