Looking ahead to their clash with Chile in the Copa America on 17 June, Japan national team manager Hajima Moriyasu expressed much enthusiasm for his young team of Samurai Blue.
Unable to obtain releases of their best players from their clubs for the tournament, Moriyasu had to call upon the green Tokyo Olympics crew to form the bulk of the squad. At the pre-match press conference, Moriyasu spoke of the trust he has in his team of 23. “This may not be the strongest Japan national team everyone would consider, but I believe this is the best team we have assembled given the current conditions,” he said.
Of the 23 players comprising players to be primed for next year’s Olympics, 16 have zero international caps. “The young players understand the concept of fighting, and they have been fighting together since I took on the role,” said Moriyasu. “I think they have no issues with that part.”
“The less experienced players can learn a lot by playing in the Copa America. I want them to learn with the spirit of challenge, grow from this experience and show what we can do in this tournament.”
The young Japan side play Chile (17 June), Uruguay (20 June) and Ecuador (24 June) in Group C of the tournament.
Uruguay 4-0 Ecuador
(Nicolas Lodeiro 6′, Edinson Cavani 33′, Luis Suarez 44′, Arturo Mina (OG) 78′)
| P | Team | M | W | D | L | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Uruguay |
1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Chile |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Japan |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Ecuador |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
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Source: Yahoo
Images: Yahoo, gettyimages
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