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Japan's national football team had to move training venues twice during their pre-tournament camp in Monterrey, Mexico, after poor field conditions disrupted their World Cup preparations.
The team initially planned to train at the Tigres UANL facility, but Japanese media reported the field was in poor condition after recent weather. They then used a pitch for Japan's under-19 team before moving again to Club de Futbol Monterrey's training ground on the second day, according to Sports Hochi.
Masakuni Yamamoto, technical director of the Japan Football Association, told reporters that the players stayed calm despite the disruptions.
"We came to this conclusion because we searched for a better environment," Yamamoto said, as quoted by Japanese media. "It's because of bad weather, so you cannot help it. We want to make sure we prepare thoroughly."
The changes in training venues got a lot of attention on Mexican social media, and many people criticized Tigres UANL online.
Besides the venue problems, players also had to deal with high temperatures during training, with the temperature around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Winger Junya Ito said coaches told players not to use ice baths right after training because they wanted everyone to get used to the heat.
Veteran fullback Yuto Nagatomo, who is getting ready for his fifth World Cup at age 39, said he watched footage of Japan's 2-1 loss to the Ivory Coast at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil to learn from it for this tournament.
"I noticed that from around the 20-minute mark, not just my energy level, but the whole team's overall performance had dropped," Nagatomo said. "Managing your physical condition and understanding how to improve it is important. I can pass on my experience to my younger teammates."
The team will move to its official base camp in Nashville, Tennessee, early next week before the tournament starts on June 11.
"We have been told that all the preparations are going smoothly in Nashville," Yamamoto said.
Japan opens its Group F matches against the Netherlands on June 14 at Dallas Stadium. They will then play Tunisia in Monterrey on June 20 and Sweden in Dallas on June 25.
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