でしパルス

IKER CASILLAS ON JAPAN’S GOALKEEPER (SUZUKI) AFTER THE NETHERLANDS GAME: “Football is strange sometimes. You can watch a match filled with world class attackers, big names, expensive talent… and somehow, the player everyone leaves talking about is the goalkeeper. That happened yesterday. I have watched goalkeepers for most of my life. I know the difference between a keeper having a ‘good game’ and a keeper controlling the emotions of an entire stadium. What Japan’s goalkeeper did against the Netherlands was far beyond a normal performance. You can teach reflexes. You can teach positioning. But you cannot teach mentality. That boy played without fear yesterday. Against a team with that much attacking quality, most goalkeepers panic. They lose concentration after one mistake, they start second-guessing themselves, they become nervous under pressure. He did the exact opposite. He looked calm, focused… almost arrogant in the best way possible. Every save gave confidence to his defenders. Every touch looked composed. Even when the pressure increased, he never looked affected. At one point, I genuinely celebrated because I thought the ball was already in the net… and somehow he still kept it out. People will remember the scoreline. I will remember the goalkeeper. Trust me… after this tournament, Europe will know his name.”

🚨Zinedine Zidane on Japan displaying Wataru Endō’s jersey after their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands: 🗣️“I have played football my entire life, and moments like that remind you why this sport means so much to people. When I saw Endō’s shirt hanging on the bench and his teammates holding it after the game, it genuinely touched me. We spend so much time talking about tactics, formations, and results, but sometimes football gives you something far more powerful. It gives you moments of humanity. Imagine working your entire career for one final World Cup, only for an injury to take it away just days before the tournament begins. Then imagine watching your teammates refuse to let the world forget you. That’s special. What struck me most was that Japan didn’t do it for the cameras or the headlines. You could see the emotion on their faces. It came from the heart. The 89th-minute equaliser was incredible, but I honestly think the image of Endō’s shirt will be remembered longer than the goal itself. Some moments are bigger than football. As an opponent, you can’t help but respect it. You could see that this team isn’t just playing for themselves anymore. They’re carrying the dream of a teammate who should have been standing beside them. That’s what makes Japan dangerous in this tournament. Not just their quality, but their unity. They look like a team willing to suffer for each other until the very last second. And if I’m Endō watching from home tonight, I probably have tears in my eyes. Because no trophy, medal, or speech can replace the feeling of knowing that your teammates haven’t forgotten you.”