NASHVILLE - Japan's national soccer team arrived in Dallas, Texas, on June 12th after completing final preparations near Nashville, Tennessee, ahead of its opening Group F match against the Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup in North America.
Most of the team's training session was held behind closed doors as players fine-tuned their preparations for the group-stage opener scheduled for June 14th local time, which will be played on June 15th in Japan.
Following the training session, the squad traveled to Dallas, where it will base itself before facing the Netherlands in what is expected to be a crucial first test of its World Cup campaign.
Japan enters the tournament aiming to make a strong start in Group F, with the opening match likely to play a key role in determining its path to the knockout stages. Coaches and players have kept tactical details closely guarded in the lead-up to the encounter, limiting media access to much of the team's final training sessions.
The match against the Netherlands will mark the beginning of Japan's campaign at the expanded World Cup being jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Source: Kyodo
