Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu had plenty to crow about on Thursday night after his team’s dominant 3-0 win over South Korea.
Instead, the majority of his post-match news conference was dedicated to the circumstances under which the match was held, and the inspiration he hoped his Samurai Blue squad would bring to a Japanese public that continues to live under restrictions imposed as a result of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
That local media only offered one question to Moriyasu regarding the Japan-South Korea rivalry reflects a potential lowering of temperatures for what has long been considered one of Asia’s most intense matchups.