The Japanese national team, who is competing in the East Asia E-1 Championship, practiced on the grounds in Suwon City on the 13th, the night after the match against China.

On this day, they invited a Japanese soccer club in Seoul and interacted with about 65 players and about 85 parents before entering training.

The starting lineup for the previous day against China only had a light movement of their bodies, and defender Tsunashima Yuto (24, Tokyo Verdi), who made his debut in the national team, looked back at his first match with a relaxed expression.

After the match, he said he was thinking about how to recover in preparation for the match against Korea, but the excitement he had not subsided and he couldn't fall asleep. “It feels like I'm thinking about play and playing soccer in my head (lol).” What came to my mind at the time was both a response and a point of regret. “I had the impression that I was able to hold the ball based on the scariest part of what I was trying to make, and it wasn't true if I was asked if I hadn't done anything I had prepared for Verdi, so that was a positive thing,” he said, adding that he was confident in how he carried the ball and how he was aiming for a passing. On the other hand, there were some areas where I felt that there was a need for improvement on the defensive side. “I've had to intercept the ball in front of me a lot, so I have to intercept it. If I'm late, I'm not too far from the matchup players or I'm not ready to go to my defense, so I want to fix the details,” he recalled.

It's been about a year and a half since Tokyo V manager Shirofuku Hiroshi converted him to center back. At first, Tsunashima was obsessed with midfielders and said, “It was strong that he could play midfielders,” but now he is finding rewarding in his new position. “It's really interesting in soccer. I get the impression that the stoppers' position doesn't really affect the game, and it's a special position where you can move forward (the whole thing) with just your own positioning. Of course I really feel the reward in that. When I was a midfielder, I started at 360 degrees, but in the final line, the opponents only come from the range I can see, so I have the freedom to do so.” Having learned that I could control the game from behind while rotating my head full, I continued to work positively and reached the national team.

We plan to further develop our strength in order to survive from here. “Of course, I honestly think there's a difference (with the regulars of the national team). However, I believe that I have the possibility and potential to get in that direction. What I thought of in this match was the position of my defensive position, positioning, and accuracy of my offensive. I really want to improve the details and have to speed up more. I thought I had to easily move my body and manipulate my body more easily.” The defender, who has sensed a lot from his experience in one debut match, learned a lot from the match against Korea on the 15th (Yongin) and will lead to further growth.[Nagata Jun]

[Japan National Team]Nagatomo Yuto played in his first national team match in 2 years and 7 months, winning 2-0 against China E-1 Championship/Details