We Need to Be Ourselves against Japan: Carlos Queiroz
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Iranian national football team's coach Carlos Queiroz has told his players to trust themselves as Iran prepares to face Japan in the first semi-final of the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 on Monday at Al Ain’s Hazza bin Zayed Stadium.
The Iranian team is appearing in the last four of the AFC Asian Cup for the first time since 2004, when it missed out on a place in the final in a penalty shootout, and is taking on a nation that has won the title on four occasions since 1992.
“It’s one more day, one more game,” said Queiroz. "This Japanese team, they have great movement on the pitch and with their actions and decisions they are very accurate. They are very accurate with their passing, but we cannot lose our identity."
“What is important is that we have a great team and great players, but we cannot risk our identity. We need to be ourselves and play with confidence and trust. We have our own weapons to play with but, of course, we have to pay attention to the Japanese team and adapt and try to control the strong points, and they have a lot," the Portuguese coach added.
“But the most important thing is to be ourselves. If we are not able to play one game without being ourselves that doesn’t make sense. After eight years and after so many sacrifices and so many games, now we have one game, the semi-final, to play against a great team,” Queiroz added.
“We need to be ourselves, we need to go inside the pitch and no matter what happens express our football and say: ‘We are Iran’ and play our football against Japan. That’s the most important,” he stated.
Iran and Japan have not met at the AFC Asian Cup Finals since 1992 and last faced each other in a competitive clash back in 2005, when Japan triumphed 2-1 in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier. Team Melli had won the corresponding fixture by the same score five months earlier.