Kye Rowles: Hopefully we can flip the script in Japan

Socceroos.com.au \\ Photo Credit: Aleksandar Jason/Socceroos 1728886799,1728889189

Subway Socceroos defender Kye Rowles believes the team are growing in confidence every day ahead of Australia’s all-important FIFA World Cup 2026™ Round Three qualifier against Japan.

Japan v Socceroos Paramount+ thin banner

After coming from behind to defeat China PR 3-1 at Adelaide Oval last Thursday, the Socceroos will take on Group C leaders Japan at Saitama Stadium 2002 at 21:35 AEDT on Tuesday night, and Rowles is hoping we can spoil their perfect record in qualification so far.

Here’s what the Australian centre-back had to say when he faced the media earlier today.

On the team’s time in Japan so far

It's been good. We’ve been here a couple of days now, so we trained outside the stadium yesterday and we’ll get to go inside today. It's a pretty big stadium. It's my first time here. So, I'm pretty excited. The mood in the camp is good, positive, obviously, after Thursday night, and we're just looking to build on things and hopefully put in another good performance. The biggest thing is to try and win the game.

On Japanese football generally

I think the football here is amazing, especially the last few years, it's really come into the limelight, which is good obviously for Asian players as well. You can see them getting taken into the bigger leagues and excelling there as well. So obviously, the game and the league is at a really strong point. I think the football here is great. We've got a couple of boys over here doing well as well. So that's always good. You keep up to date with things over here, because you're keen on how your boys are doing as well. Like I said, it's just overall top quality.

On how the win against China PR gives us further belief heading into the Japan game

For every opponent we come up against, we want to come away with all three points. You don't really want to go into a game just trying to scrape a point or not lose by much. That's not the idea that any of us have in this camp, and it never has been. We probably just needed that little confidence boost that Thursday night was and we didn't make it easy. Obviously, the first 35 minutes - going behind. But I think that, in a way, helped us gain even more confidence to bounce back. Things were already going pretty badly, and then to go one nil down at home again is not in anyone's plans. So to come back and put three past them helps build confidence, and hopefully we can just get better with each performance. We've been getting better each day at training. I'm just excited for tomorrow night.

POPA CAM: New footage of Tony Popovic in the dugout against China PR

On the importance of the Japan game

It’s definitely up there. This really would keep us in the running for that automatic qualification spot. But, we just want to go out there and know that if we put in the best performance we can, it gives us a good shot of giving them a red-hot crack. So, we're just focused on putting in the best performance individually and as a team and hopefully, the result takes care of itself.

Obviously, over the last few years, they've had our number, but we just need to focus on playing to the best of our ability, and that'll put us in good stead in the match. I think that this game is massively important, especially, as we’re almost at the halfway point in the qualification process - we need to start getting the ball rolling and continue on from Thursday night. Hopefully, we can put in a better performance. There were plenty of positives on Thursday, but there's a lot of work to do as well. Hopefully, we can flip the script a little bit and put in a good performance. And get one back on them.

On how we match up vs Samurai Blue

I think physically we're a good match for them. They work hard, they run. They're full of running, sharp, strong, powerful. But I think we've got a lot of those same qualities as well. Whoever can get tactically right, and put in the shift, work harder, and win every second ball, those types of things - it'll go a long way in the game.

On the potentially hostile crowd at Saitama Stadium 2002

I could probably speak for the majority of the boys. We’ve played in some pretty hostile crowds together as a group. I think hostile crowds really get you going in a different way than home crowds do. Home crowds make it all nice and pretty, you know you’ve got the support and it gives you that confidence where the hostile crowds really get your back up and you think ‘no, I'm not letting you have a party. I'm going to try and ruin it.’ So, our mentality is to go out there and try to ruin their party, and we had it done to us on day one of qualification, and it's not a nice feeling. So if we can give that back then it'd be great.

On working with Tony Popovic and the new coaching staff

It's been good. I came in a little bit late, after a few of the boys were already here in camp, but in the small amount of time we've had, him, Foxy [Hayden Foxe] and Paul [Okon] have been really helpful on the field, especially training sessions, just guiding you on positioning, decision-making as well. Any information given, you just got to take on board. They've obviously had that experience in their careers, and not only as players, but coaches now as well. And I think if you take that on board, then all that will help your game a long way. Positioning and decision-making have been big areas that they’ve helped me in so far in the first few days.

Kye Rowles: Hopefully we can flip the script in Japan | Press Conference | Japan v Australia