DALLAS, Texas - Japan players will face the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener Sunday with a stronger sense of resolve after holding an urgent meeting to come together in response to the shock departure of injured captain Wataru Endo.
New skipper Ko Itakura said Saturday that he and Yuto Nagatomo, as well as non-playing squad members Maya Yoshida and Takumi Minamino, conveyed their messages Friday night after arriving in Dallas, Texas.
"A lot has happened, but my role has been to get the whole team on the same page ahead of the opener," said Ajax defender Itakura. "Getting united is the most important thing in these short-term competitions."
Full-back Nagatomo, in the Japan squad for a record fifth straight World Cup, said the bond within the team is stronger on the back of the gathering.
"I've told everyone that this could be your last World Cup," said the 39-year-old. "There's no such thing as 'you're young, so you'll have another chance.' Four years for a footballer aren't that straightforward...You have to battle as if this is your last time."
"For the rest of your life, there will be nothing quite like this that makes you so passionate and fired up...Everyone's been shocked with what happened with Wataru, but I felt the energy from everyone to look ahead, and all the minds getting connected."
Shuto Machino, replacing Endo in the squad, said he had his passport with him when he got the unexpected call-up just in case and boarded his plane within seven hours.
Joining his teammates in Dallas after a nearly 40-hour trip due to delayed flights, the Borussia Monchengladbach forward was eager to contribute after playing no minutes in the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where he was also a late call-up for injured Yuta Nakayama.
"Maybe I'm born under such a star," said the 26-year-old, who will be wearing Endo's No. 6 shirt.
"There's responsibility, along with lots of other things, weighing on me with it. But I want it to be a tournament that makes Wataru, after watching me play, feel happy that I was the one who replaced him."
