Japan Must Keep Clean Sheet against Iran, says Morita
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Japan has been leaking goals in the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023, which midfielder Hidemasa Morita admits is a concern going into their quarter-final against Iran on Saturday.
Japan conceded six goals en route to the quarter-finals and Morita said the four-time champion has been paying attention to this aspect of the game, with Iran sure to punish the East Asian side for errors, the-afc.com reported.
“The game against Bahrain (in the Round of 16) was difficult but as you saw, we managed to score three goals and that was a positive thing for us.
“However, we still conceded and I don’t think we have kept a clean sheet in the tournament and this is something we must improve on,” said the 28-year-old, who plays his club football for Portuguese side Sporting CP.
Defensive frailties aside, Morita feels Japan has improved as the tournament has progressed and is confident of advancing to the semi-finals.
“We only had two days to prepare so it’s going to be a tough game but I’m confident that we can play a good match.
“As with the group stage and the Bahrain one, we are improving. We are growing into the tournament but at the same time, we have to remain open to improving game by game.”
