Given that the Chinese National Team was likely to employ Counter-Attack tactics, the Japan team focused on rehearsing attacking patterns during their pre-match preparations.
Set pieces, crosses from the wing attack, and long-range shots from outside the box—the Japan team spent nearly the entire day training these aspects.
The time allotted to defensive tactical training, meanwhile, was drastically reduced.
If the opponent was going to sit deep and play Counter-Attack, what the hell was there to defend against?
The Japan team's only real concern was probably Lin Feng's speed.
Zico made specific arrangements for this, instructing Japan's midfielders to cut off the connection between the National Football Team's midfield and Lin Feng, denying them the chance to play dangerous passes.
As long as Lin Feng could not get the ball, his speed advantage would naturally be useless.
Even if the Chinese team managed to steal a goal through Counter-Attack, it would not matter as long as the Japan team scored more.
Since the Japan team had failed to score in their previous match against the North Korea team, the outside world had begun questioning Japan's attacking ability, and Zico's coaching ability had also come under scrutiny.
Zico, who had once been a world-class player in his playing days, naturally had no intention of settling for mediocrity after taking up the coaching whistle.
Coaching the Japan team was merely a stepping stone toward a bigger stage.
According to Zico's plan, after leading the team through next year's Germany World Cup, he would resign as Head Coach of the Japan team and seek opportunities in the Big Five Leagues.
And to earn an opportunity in the Big Five Leagues, he needed to prove his coaching ability with the Japan National Team.
Therefore, Zico hoped to lead his team to a resounding victory