Abu Dhabi: Experienced defender Yuto Nagatomo has revealed that he never doubted Japan’s ability to beat Turkmenistan after the Samurai Blue were forced to come from behind before beating their Central Asian opponents 3-2 at the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Wednesday.
The four-time champions of Asia had trailed 1-0 going into half-time, but a rousing performance in the second half saw Hajime Moriyasu’s charges eventually claim all three points and top spot in Group F.
Despite Japan’s first-half woes, Nagatomo – an ever-present when his nation claimed the AFC Asian Cup title in 2011 – proved to be a calming influence in a side which was clearly transformed after the break.
“Although we had conceded one goal [in the first half] there was no need to get nervous,” explained the 32-year-old, who currently plies his trade with Turkish giants Galatasaray.
“I told my teammates to be positive, and that as we had another 45 minutes to play we could come from behind. There really was no problem."
Group F Matchday 1: Japan vs Turkmenistan
“The key to the win was that we changed the way we played in the first and second halves. In the first half we were in a bit of a rut and, as a result, we were not able pose our opponents too many problems.
“However, in the second period we looked to break them down from wide areas, as well as with crosses and long balls. That change in the way we fought was what produced this win.”
Japan will now face Oman on Sunday looking to further underline their title credentials, although Nagatomo remains adamant that there are plenty of improvements to be made between now and then.
“A lot of issues cropped up in the game against Turkmenistan,” he said.
“We now have to work on improving them as we look ahead to the next game.”
Source: the-afc.com