Japan played a stronger – better-ranked opponent Great Britain in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Malaysia. The match was a part of the trio friendly series, hosted by Malaysia, being played between Malaysia, Japan and Great Britain.
Head-Coach of the Japanese Samurai Siegfried Aikman had this to say,
“Today Samurai Japan played vs a very strong and high ranked Great Britain. Prior to the match, we had a team meeting based on the fact that we want the players to own their own game. We provide structure and they make the operational choices. We want the players to feel responsible and act accordingly. The team began the match with respect for their opponents which was well deserved, GB lead the match in the beginning by 1-0. After half time, we managed to return in the match and equalize the score. Samurai Japan again showed their fighting spirit. Akira Menai never gave up. Lessons we learned today was that we need to improve our physical strength within the margin the umpires allow. Without making faults. Secondly, we need to support each other more while timing remains the king.”
