NASHVILLE, Tennessee - Japan players were rocked after injured captain Wataru Endo was ruled out of the World Cup on its opening day on Thursday.
Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada, who played with Endo as a youngster while on loan at Sint-Truiden in the 2018-19 season, appeared with him at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and lamented the departure of the influential skipper.
"I have lots of things going through my mind," Kamada said regarding the 33-year-old. "We've been having lots of chats, not so much about his injury but on football and our team. It was a surprise for me (and a shock), especially as I have known him since I was 18."
"Wataru is a distinctive player who is able to make a difference when necessary and to lose that individual ability hurts."
At the same time, the 29-year-old was mindful of the manager and the medical team who had to face up to the cruel reality and act for the sake of collective success.
"It's a tough situation for a player to be in, but conversely it's not easy for the ones making the decision either," he said.
Bayern Munich defender Hiroki Ito had two seasons at Stuttgart playing under Endo's captaincy and lauded his quality.
"He's someone who never wavers whatever happens, doing things silently and steadily but equipped with the leadership to unite the team," the 27-year-old said.
"I'm sure he's feeling the most frustration and no matter how much we try, there are things only he'd know."
Trusted by popular manager Jurgen Klopp in his first season at Liverpool, Endo saw his playing time nosedive in the past two seasons under the sacked Arne Slot and was expected to be an option off the bench for Hajime Moriyasu at the World Cup.
Endo's starting berth has recently been taken by Mainz star Kaishu Sano, who also excels in midfield duels, while Leeds' Ao Tanaka arrived at the tournament on the back of a strong Premier League debut campaign.
"It's really disappointing (to lose Endo) after the members were confirmed. I've been seeing his progress with rehabs and he was telling me he was gradually getting there," Tanaka said. "But we have to shift our focus when that's needed. We know what we have to do."
