Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Koji Nakata, and Ryuzo Morioka Discuss the Future of Japan’s National Team

Miyamoto: “(Coach Troussier) was very demanding of his players. If they were not at the level he wanted, he would get very angry. However, there were some things he did on a dare.”

Morioka: “The players knew his personality and got along well with him. The generation that did the best was Koji Nakata’s generation.”

Nakata: “Generally, when the media comes, I get turned on (laughs). But wasn’t (interpreter) Davadi good at motivating them, too?”

Morioka: “Definitely (laughs). (laughs) “Sometimes he was getting ahead of himself. Director Troussier also didn’t say that much, or maybe he said some things that he fictitiously made up.”

Nakata: “Yes, yes. Nakata: “Yes, yes. That’s why I thought they were rehearsing together before the meeting. Before the meeting.”

On June 9, an online talk event “Reviving the Legend of the Flat 3” was held at HIS headquarters in Minato-ku, Tokyo, featuring former Japan team members Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (45), Koji Nakata (42), and Ryuzo Morioka (46). It was the first time in 20 years since the World Cup between Japan and South Korea that the three were reunited.

The first half of the one-and-a-half-hour event was filled with behind-the-scenes stories from that time, as described at the beginning of this article. In the second half, they discussed the current state and future of Japanese soccer in preparation for the World Cup in Qatar this November.

Miyamoto spoke about the current Japanese national team, in which more than half of the players are from overseas.

Miyamoto commented on the current situation in which more than half of Japan’s players are from abroad, saying, “Japanese players are being evaluated and transferring at relatively low fees. I think there is market demand. However, if we look at the J-League, it is a difficult situation for each club because young players with power are leaving rapidly. It is a good situation, but I think there are challenges at the same time.”

Morioka added cleverly, “I think it’s a good situation, but at the same time, there are some challenges.”

I had a chance to train with Tottenham of the Premier League when I was active, and I thought it was impossible to play center back overseas. I had a chance to train with Tottenham in the Premier League, but I thought it was impossible to play center back overseas. （I am impressed by their resilience and their ability to adapt to the culture of other countries. That is the most amazing thing about them.)

He expressed his amazement from a player’s point of view.

At the World Cup, Japan was paired with Germany and Spain, two powerful nations. At the end of the event, the former Japan representative made the following prediction.

Morioka:  It is an enviable group, isn’t it? I would like to play against such a country in an international match.

Miyamoto: (While whispering into Morioka’s ear) What is the winner?

Morioka : My wish is to win one game, lose one game, and draw one game or more. I hope we can somehow get through the group league with that.

Nakata: I also want to win one game, lose one game, and draw one game. I want a draw or better in the first game against Germany, a win in the second game, and a match against Spain in the last game.

I hope that the group will be able to break through the barrier of the last 16, which they have yet to do.

Morioka’s book, ” Live Every Moment” (Tokuma Shoten) “(book)

Morioka’s book, “Live Every Moment” (Tokuma Shoten )” (e-book)

From the July 8, 2022 issue of FRIDAY