Japan manager putting 'all my effort' into beating S. Korea

• Published date: 10 March 2023
• Publication title: The Korea Times

Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama said Friday he is not taking South Korea lightly, despite his team's favorite status ahead of their rivalry showdown at the World Baseball Classic (WBC).

"Every time we faced Korea, it was always a tough competition," Kuriyama said at a pregame press conference at Tokyo Dome. "It's most likely a battle of mental strength. All I can say is I am putting all my effort into tonight's game. It's going to be a 50-50 game."

Japan, world No. 1 and favorite to win Pool B, is in the driver's seat after beating China 8-1 Thursday. South Korea, on the other hand, is reeling from an 8-7 loss to Australia on Thursday, and every remaining game is a must-win contest.

Kuriyama said Japan hasn't accomplished anything yet and his team is in the same situation as South Korea.

"We are not thinking about the future," he said. "We only concentrate on today's game, 100 percent."

Kuriyama attended...