How did the goal rush of the Japanese national team that won 7-0 against the Chinese national team in the final Asian qualifying round for the 2026 FIFA World Cup look from the bench? We spoke to Keito Nakamura (24) of Stade de Reims, who has developed into one of the national team’s main scorers but did not play in this match.

“We didn’t allow them (China) to create any chances from the first half. I think the biggest thing was that we were able to score the opening goal.”

He spoke to reporters at Saitama Stadium after the match and shared his first impressions of the match against China.

“I never imagined (a 7-0 result),” he said. “I haven’t seen many 7-0 results in the final qualifying round, so I think it’s amazing. I thought the quality of each player’s play in front of the goal, such as their movements before scoring and their ball handling, was high. I felt that they have a lot of players with great individual abilities.”

On the same day, Kaoru Mitoma (27) of Brighton, who is also a left winger like himself, played in his first international match since the Asian Cup in January-February this year, and scored his first goal in about a year and three months.

“Anyone can see that (Mitomo) is an amazing player. There is still a lot to learn from him. When I play, I want to show different plays and strengths, but watching from the outside, I thought, ‘He was amazing today too. It was really fun to watch.'”

In the match against China, Junya Ito (31), who is also from the same club, came on as a substitute in the second half. His teammate, who had been forced to withdraw from the national team during the Asian Cup due to allegations of sexual assault, returned to the national team for the first time in about seven months and immediately produced results with one goal and two assists.

“I felt like ‘national team player Ito has returned.’ I myself have not been with the national team for that long, so it’s strange to say ‘I’m back,’ but I’m not particularly surprised by his performance (one goal and two assists). He always provides an assist in every match at Lens, and he also scored a goal in the previous match. He always produces visible results.”

Since making his international debut in March 2011, he has been scoring goals at a high pace, scoring eight goals in 10 international matches, but he did not get a chance to play on this day.

“Of course I have a strong desire to play in matches, but I will just play when I am on the field. It is not up to me to decide whether I play or not. It also depends on the team. The national team is a special stage, and the competition is at a high level. I will show good performances in practice, and if I am given even a little bit of playing time next time, I will do my best to win.”

With these words, he left the interview area ahead of the second match of the final qualifying round, which will be played away against Bahrain on the 10th (early morning of the 11th Japan time).