[World Cup]Itakura wins over Spain (December 2, 2022)

In the FIFA World Cup 2022, Japan earned a historic come-from-behind victory over powerhouse Spain 2-1, and qualified for the knockout stages. This is a comment from Ko Itakura, the Japanese national team player, after the match. Q: What did it feel like to concede a goal in the early minutes on the defensive line? Itakura: It was tough. At that time, the marks between me and Maya (Yoshida) weren’t clear, and I went into the match thinking that I would never show that kind of gap, so when I conceded a goal because of that. , I thought I had done it. It was also difficult mentally, but I was able to take it easy and stay as it was, and as a result, the previous players did it, so I am grateful. Q: How are you preparing for the defense line and coordinating with the staff? Itakura: We are talking a lot, and the players are talking to each other. I’m not worried about the future, I’m entering the game with a clear idea of ​​what I need to do. After entering, I was able to protect it until the end, so I think that was good. Q: What is important as a team for the next match? Itakura: I think we’d like to keep this momentum going and prepare well once again to come up with countermeasures. Q: Cumulative (warning) or Itakura: Cumulative (suspended from next match due to warning). Q: Are you watching from the outside? Itakura: There are really a lot of good players right now, so I would like to entrust them to everyone and support them.
[テレ朝ｎｅｗｓ] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp