Tomiyasu Takehiro: Reclaiming the Asian Cup is a Team Goal

Japanese national team player Tomiyasu Takehiro recently gave an interview to Japanese media, discussing topics such as the Asian Cup and his own form.



Regarding team competition, Tomiyasu Takehiro stated, "New players keep emerging, including young players, making the competition very intense, which is good for the team."

On his own form, Tomiyasu Takehiro said, "Since returning from injury at Arsenal at the end of the year, I have come here, so I feel that my condition is good."

When asked if he has no intention of participating in the Asian Cup, Tomiyasu Takehiro expressed, "I absolutely do not have such intentions. I wanted to convey this message to the AFC. Honestly, playing football with Japanese players is also fun, and I feel motivated. In this sense, I joined the Japanese national team. Because we all grew up in the same country, there is resonance, but there is also different joy."

Reflecting on the last tournament, Tomiyasu Takehiro said, "I played as a midfielder in the first match against Turkmenistan in the last Asian Cup. I scored only one goal representing the Japanese national team, which was in the match against Saudi Arabia. In this sense, it has been five years since I scored for the national team, so I feel that I must score. Moreover, we lost to Qatar in the final, so we must reclaim the Asian Cup. It is a goal that the team must work together towards, and I hope we can win the championship."
Talking about the team, Tomiyasu stated, "After the World Cup, I believe the overall level of the Japanese team has improved. In this situation, I think we will be considered a team that must win. I hope we can overpower our opponents and win the matches."