Ahead of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup, the main players of the Japanese national team, who play in major European leagues, openly said they are reluctant to participate in the tournament. The motivation for winning the tournament is that much lower, which is a good thing for the Korean national team, which is more willing to win than ever before.
Japanese national team striker Takefusa Kubo (23, Real Sociedad) was asked about his participation in the Asian Cup in an interview with local media after the 19th round match of Spain’s Primera Liga in the 2023-2024 season on the 3rd. “I’m sorry that the tournament was held during the season,” he said. “The team that pays me is Real Sociedad. If you are called to such a tournament, you are obligated to participate, and you are forced to go.” 온라인카지노
Kubo had been playing so well that he was named the player of the month in September in La Liga, but had to skip the match for a while due to a cracked rib injury. He only recently recovered from his injury and started the match. He seems to have expressed dissatisfaction with the situation where he has to play at the Asian Cup at a time when he needs to boost his performance and boost his stock price.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, a Japanese national team defender who plays for Arsenal in the English Premier League (EPL), also made remarks that seemed reluctant to participate in the Asian Cup, citing the timing of the Asian Cup. “I hope the Asian Cup will be held in June like the Euro. I don’t know why the Asian Cup is held in January. I don’t think it’s good for players,” he said in an interview with the Evening Standard of the U.K. on Tuesday.
Domiyas has been a key player for Arsenal this season. While the right full-back is the main position, he can also see the left full-back and sometimes even play the role of center-back, helping Arsenal compete in the top ranks. Bayern Munich (Germany) and Napoli (Italy) are known to be keeping an eye on his outstanding performance. Domiyas has been sidelined for a month recently due to a calf injury, but made a quick recovery to start again at the end of last month.
Such remarks could be a hindrance to uniting the Japanese national team. Even so, the Japanese national team is agonizing over the ankle injury of its ace, Kaoru Mitoma. It is expected that it will take up to six weeks for the team to recover, and even after being called up to the national team, it will be difficult to utilize the injury in the group stage immediately.
On the other hand, the Korean national team has a bigger desire than ever to win the title at the championship. Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), a former top scorer at the EPL, Kim Min-jae who secured the starting center back position at Bayern Munich (Germany), and Lee Kang-in who is emerging as a mainstay at Paris Saint-Germain (France) are considered to be the best players in the history of the tournament. There is no doubt that this tournament is a golden opportunity to seek the championship. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann is said to have fired up his fighting spirit, telling captain Son, “No matter how famous you are, it’s useless if you don’t have a trophy.”