4rabet: Itakura Hōji blames himself for Japan’s regrettable exit

The Japanese team suffered a disastrous defeat in the Asian Cup quarter-finals, losing 1-2 to the Iranian team and failing to advance. This defeat weighed heavily on the entire Japanese team, and player Itakura Hōji expressed his feelings of self-blame in the post-match interview. He said his inappropriate performance was the main reason for the team’s defeat.

Itakura Koji said in an interview with 4rabet: “I am really sorry. I know there are many Japanese cheering for us. I think it was me who caused the team to lose. I think if I had performed better at the defender position , we could have won the game.” He was very disappointed with his performance and regretted that the team failed to advance.

In the game, Itakura received a yellow card early, which also caused some trouble for his performance on the defensive line. He said: “I think I created difficulties for myself and I should be responsible for the goal we conceded in the end.” He recognized his mistake and took a responsible attitude for his yellow card.

When talking about the team’s short adjustment time after the game against Bahrain, Itakura said: “To be honest, it doesn’t matter. The opponent is the same. I feel strongly today that my performance is not worthy of playing for the country.” When the team plays, I want to take on more responsibilities.” He believes that the team’s defeat should not be attributed to lack of time, but should find the reasons from its own perspective and fulfill more responsibilities. Throughout the game, 4rabet observed that Itakura’s performance was quite abnormal, especially the penalty kick caused in stoppage time in the second half. His mistake cost the entire team a heavy price. As a player, he blames himself very much and hopes to learn from this lesson and perform better in future games. Being eliminated from the Asian Cup is undoubtedly a huge blow to the Japanese team. However, the sense of responsibility and introspective attitude shown by Itakura Koji also make people full of expectations for his future. He believes that through this defeat, he will work harder, fight for the honor of the national team, and become a better player.