Reports: Maya Yoshida to join Japanese National Team in Support Role, Not on Official Roster
According to reporting from Japanese outlet Football Zone, Maya Yoshida will be heading to Mexico in a “support role” ahead of Samurai Blue’s first World Cup stage games.
The Japanese team recently arrived in Mexico and is training in Monterrey to prepare and acclimate to the temperatures they might deal with during the tournament before heading to their base camp in Nashville.
Yoshida recently joined the team for its final match in Japan ahead of the FIFA World Cup. He played 15 minutes and received a farewell from the players and fans at Japan’s national stadium.
The 37-year-old defender is not on the team’s roster for the World Cup. Football Zone reports that he will be joining the team to aid in preparations for the team. Japan is in Group F with the Netherlands, Tunisia, and Sweden.
The LA Galaxy defender is no stranger to what it is like to prepare and play in Mexico. He’s played in Mexico in the last two seasons as part of the LA Galaxy’s Concacaf Champions Cup campaigns. Yoshida played in Toluca this season and in Monterrey last season as LA bowed out of the tournament.
His arrival comes at an interesting time for the Samurai Blue. It’s been reported that the Japanese have shown discontent with the quality of pitches at Tigres’ facilities. Videos of the team training and the lackluster conditions of the fields. Multiple outlets have reported that the team was close to leaving the country altogether.
C.F. Monterrey, the other team in the city, offered Japan their facilities, which are regarded as one of the best in Mexico. “El Barrial” is the base camp for the Tunisian national team, but it will temporarily host Japan’s fitness camp.