Preparing for his first national team appearance since returning to the J-League, veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo wants to demonstrate the strength of Japan's domestic competition when the Samurai Blue face Saudi Arabia in World Cup qualifying on Thursday.
After 11 years in Europe with Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Marseille, the 35-year-old left-back rejoined his first professional club FC Tokyo in the J-League first division last month.
"Now that I'm on the national team as a J-League player, I want to show the high standard of the league," Nagatomo said following a training run for the Group B showdown at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium.
Providing leadership on the pitch vocally and with his energetic play, Nagatomo is clear about what Japan must do if they are to hand Saudi Arabia their first loss of the final Asian qualifying stage for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"Never lose the ball one on one. And if we do lose the ball, defend right away. This doesn't only apply to Saudi Arabia, but any high-level international match," Nagatomo said.
Following training on Monday, Nagatomo spent around 20 minutes on the pitch speaking with Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu.
The defender said every member of the Samurai Blue squad feels a sense of urgency after opening the qualifying stage last month with a shock 1-0 loss at home to Oman, followed by a 1-0 win against China in Qatar.
"There is a tension or sense of crisis felt by everyone and it's definitely rising," Nagatomo said.
Following the crucial clash in Jeddah, the Samurai Blue will have only a short turnaround before facing the other currently unbeaten Group B side, Australia, at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday.
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