Japan is ready to display “samurai spirit” against Croatia in FIFA World Cup

• Japan will “fight like a samurai” against Croatia on Monday in an effort to get to the quarterfinals for the first time
• This statement was given bydefender Yuto Nagatomo

Japan won Group E and advanced to the knockout phase after defeating Germany and Spain, but they are not happy with their performance in Qatar thus far

Fourth-time World Cup participant Nagatomo urged his teammates to “display the samurai spirit to the world” against Croatia.

The former Inter Milan left-back remarked on Sunday, “The samurai would polish their weapons and refine their technique before fight, but if they were terrified in battle, all that would matter for nothing.”

“It’s comparable to football. Of course, tactics and technique are crucial, but if we’re afraid, no amount of training over the previous four years will help because our technique won’t work.

The 36-year-old continued, “Having courage is the most essential thing.

Japan has advanced to the round of 16 at three prior World Cups, however they have not yet advanced to the quarterfinals.

They lost 3-2 to Belgium with the game’s final kick to be ousted in the first knockout round four years ago in Russia after blowing a two-goal advantage.

Nagatomo claimed that the loss had been on his mind for the previous four years and that he was prepared to forget about it when Japan faced Croatia.

The last four years have been challenging for me, but I believe we have all conquered it and become better players.

“I have been a member of the Japan team for about 15 years, and from what I can tell, this is our strongest World Cup squad to date.”

Japan was forced to play defence for extended stretches against opponents that dominated possession in order to defeat both Germany and Spain after falling behind early.

Although he asked them to have “resilience” no matter what the circumstances, coach Hajime Moriyasu wants his men to have more possession of the ball against Croatia.

Against Germany and Spain, the players “showed their skill, they were a team, they dug in and fought till the end,” he said.

“They have demonstrated that playing that way produces outcomes.

“Of course it’s vital to consider our opponents, but first and foremost I want to see what our players are capable of,” the coach said.

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