The River central defender, who was international with Japan, wants the two group matches to be settled with a draw
In the year 2000, Shoji Jo was the first Japanese footballer to land in La Liga with Valladolid. Since then, many have tried to do the same in order to reach a higher level than what is available in their country of origin. However, it is still a ‘rare bird’ to find players of this nationality in Spain. Currently, among the more than 3,000 that make up the different teams that are in the first four national categories, there are only ten Japanese. Among them, the presence of Daiki Niwa in the Sestao River stands out. This central defender was even international, so he knows a good part of the team that today at 8:00 p.m. will face Luis Enrique’s team.
Daiki Niwa signed for Sestao River in January 2021. After 18 years playing in the elite of Japanese football, where he won two leagues, ambition led him to the Basque Country. “He wanted to learn more about playing soccer and that’s why I came here,” the 36-year-old soccer player told EL CORREO. His signing was very popular. It is not for less, and it is that not every day a team from the Third RFEF -where Sestao River was then- incorporates a player who has been international into its ranks. The defender played two official matches with Japan in 2015 against China and Iran. “Playing with the national team there is everyone’s dream, it’s mandatory to win and the players are very sad if they don’t,” he says about it.
That rootedness, sacrifice and feeling of belonging has moved them to the Sestao River, which they feel is their “second home”. This is already his third season in the green-black squad, where he has conquered the hearts of all his fans. In fact, Las Llanas wears a Japanese flag at every match carried by the ‘Ribeer Albiz’ Supporters Club and everyone always sends them off with a thunderous ovation. He has won over everyone with his delivery. Likewise, he has been able to verify the great football culture of this territory. What strikes him the most is how noisy the fans are. “In Japan, people only clap when they’re in the stands, here people talk and shout a lot, they’re very supportive,” he says.
Japan dreams of making history
He also does not lose sight of his country of origin and affirms that he has seen practically all the matches of this World Cup. Daiki Niwa knows the Japanese team perfectly. Whether in the national team or in one of the clubs that he has played for, he has coincided with half of the squad that is in Qatar. Among them are the most recognizable names such as Yoshida, Nagatomo, Sakai, Shibasaki, Minamino or Kubo, as well as the two scorers in this tournament: Doan and Asano. The current Sestao River footballer is very confident in his team, he believes that they can play a good role and he is liking what he has seen so far, although he himself admits that he was surprised by the victory against Germany.
Now he is very clear about his wishes for today’s game. “I want them to tie so that both can pass,” he highlights about the duel in which Spain and Japan will meet tonight, Thursday. In this way, Spain would go through as first in the group and Japan would do so as second, if Germany and Costa Rica also tie in their corresponding confrontation. This is how he wants Daiki Niwa to be, who dreams of his team making history by reaching the quarterfinals. A level that they have never reached and that is in the crosshairs of the entire country. Regarding Spain, he considers that “it is the team that plays the best” and visualizes it in the semifinals or even in the final. Everything can depend on today’s result.
