Japan U23 Football Captain Yamamoto Rihito Seeks Revenge Against Spain in Olympic Quarter-Finals



After completing the group stage matches in the Olympic men's football tournament, Japan and Spain U23s will face each other in the quarter-finals. In an interview, Japan U23 captain Yamamoto Rihito expressed a strong desire to avenge their defeat by Spain in the semi-finals of the last Olympics.

In their final group match against Israel, Japan U23 fielded a rotated lineup, with Yamamoto wearing the captain's armband and helping the team secure a 1-0 victory to top the group with three consecutive wins.

"We haven't conceded a single goal in the three group stage matches, which is something we take immense pride in," Yamamoto said. "Our defense has been rock-solid without a doubt, and everyone is in top form. If we can maintain this level against Spain, I believe the advantage will be on our side."

Reflecting on their three clean sheets in the group stage, Yamamoto added, "It has boosted our confidence tremendously, although it feels somewhat surreal. Players like Kubo Reo have been extremely focused in defense, taking our confidence to unprecedented levels."

During the previous Tokyo Olympics, Yamamoto served as a training partner for the Japan U23 squad and witnessed their defeat to Spain in the semi-finals after extra time, missing out on the final. Looking ahead to their quarter-final clash this time, Yamamoto emphasized the importance of revenge: "I'm familiar with our last edition's team and feel sorry for them losing to Spain. Our current squad must avenge them and eliminate our opponents."