Soccer News of Thursday, 19 August 2004
Source: --
VOLOS, 18 August - Comments from coaches Masakuni YAMAMOTO (JPN), Mariano BARRETO (GHA) after Japan defeated Ghana in a Group B.
Masakuni YAMAMOTO (JPN) - coach
On his opinion about the game: "Today we were luckier than in our previous games. We kept Ghana's players in the middle field and we had the control of the game. In my opinion, there are two reasons for our success: our stability throughout the game and the physical tiredness of Ghana."
Mariano BARRETO (GHA) - coach
On the game:
"What happened today is what usually happens in Football. My players were ready for everything. Japan played quickly without anxiety, as they didn't have anything to lose. They started the game offensively, we were surprised, and so they scored. Despite the fact that our goalkeeper cleared off many of their attempts to score, they finally managed to aim at the nets. We gained a lot of this experience, we learnt a lot from our mistakes. Congratulations to my team, I am really grateful that we played in this tournament."