Japan, led by coach Moriyasu Hajime, will play its third Group D match against Indonesia at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation Qatar Asian Cup at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha, Qatar, at 2:30 p.m. on Monday (local time). Japan is in second place and Indonesia is in third place.
Tomiyasu attended the press conference in advance along with Moriyasu. Tomiyasu, who played for Avispa Fukuoka, experienced Europe while playing for Sintra Widon and entered the big league when he moved to Bologna. In 2021, he went to Arsenal. Tomiyasu mainly played at right fullback, and he played at left fullback and centerback without difficulty. He also performed well as a fullback moving to the center as manager Mikel Arteta wanted, and was well received.
Frequent injury was one disadvantage. Tomiyasu was frequently sidelined due to frequent injury, and his participation in the Asian Cup seemed uncertain. Tomiyasu, who was listed on the list, did not play as a mainstay but instead played as a substitute. Sugawara Yukiniri was included in the right back, and a combination of center backs was Shogo Tanaguchi and Ko Itakura. Japan won the first match against Vietnam 4-2, but lost the match against Iraq 1-2, making it a scapegoat for unexpected events.
Tomiyasu said, “We had a very difficult game. Obviously, we had a very difficult game. It was the most difficult game in the Asian Cup and we learned from our mistakes. Indonesia will try harder to advance to the tournament. We will do our best, too.”
“There is a bond among the team members and we are trying to create a team. Endo Wataru and I are trying to become leaders to present our opinions and solve problems outside the stadium. We need a leader on the bench and I think there will be a positive impact,” he said.
“We lost against Iraq, but we will prepare well for tomorrow’s game. Everyone who is with us is showing the best teamwork,” Moriyasu said, adding that the team is positive and is moving forward to win against Indonesia.