Japan is under no illusions that they will be anything but a massive underdog in its World Cup round-of-16 match against a star-studded Belgium side, defender Maya Yoshida said Saturday.
The 29-year-old, who as a center back for Premier League club Southampton regularly faces some of the big names lining up for Belgium, said Japan will need a collective effort if it is to overcome a team with far greater individual talent.
"Individually they are much better, that's 100 percent for sure," Yoshida said. "But as a unit we can make a huge difference. Sometimes unity can beat individuals. So I hope we can organize very well as a team."