Sanfrecce Hiroshima striker Takuma Asano is confident that he can build on his breakout 2015 season ahead of Saturday’s FUJI XEROX SUPER CUP.
The 21-year-old was named the J.League New Player of the Year after scoring nine goals, all of them as a substitute.
“I have a good impression of (the Super Cup) since that’s where I scored my first goal in 2014,” Asano said after Sanfrecce’s final pre-match practice on Friday.
“I want to score again tomorrow and contribute to a win, especially since my family is coming.”
The Mie native had a short offseason, participating in Japan’s victorious AFC U-23 Championship campaign in Qatar.
“I got a week off after the tournament, he revealed, “but I didn’t really ‘switch off’ (before rejoining Sanfrecce) and that might have helped me.
“I’m not satisfied with earning an Olympic berth; I want to play in the Olympics and that feeling is stronger than ever. Beginning tomorrow I want to make my case.”