At the end of their Asian tour for FIFA 2023 dates, the Peruvian side achieved a stunning 4-1 victory against their counterparts from Japan. The teams led by Juan Reynoso showed a level well below the level they had shown in the previous clash against South Korea, which the Japanese side took advantage of to win. One of the protagonists of the meeting, Kaoru MitomaHe was satisfied with his team’s performance against one of the “weak South American teams”.
“I think we managed to win with a good result against one of the weak South American teams,” said Sports Nippon newspaper about the Brighton Premier League player. Mitoma scored the second goal of the game and assisted the third goal, a contribution that earned him the reputation as the player of the game.
Regarding his goal, the 26-year-old footballer stated that he had exploited the space offered by the red and white defence. “I managed well on the right flank and there was a lot of space on the left, so I hit the ball without hesitation,” he said of the play where he had a deflection deflected by Carlos Zambrano to score.
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Finally, he indicated that he was aware of how he would face this clash: defend and counterattack at the earliest opportunity. “I was aware that I would defend up front and if I stole the ball I would go on the counterattack,” he added.
What did DT Japan say about the Peru team?
In a press conference, coach Hajime Moriyasu praised the Red and White team despite the significant differences on the pitch between the two sides.
“Peru have a similar world ranking to us and are a strong team in South America, so it was a good test for us. Beating such a good South American team gives us confidence,” said the strategist.