AFC Champions League: Kawasaki Frontale keeper Louis Thebault-Yamaguchi ready to stop Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nassr

Louis Thebault-Yamaguchi is the goalkeeper of the first choice of Kawasaki Frontale, the Japanese club, who competes against Cristiano Ronaldos al Nassr in the semi-finals of the Asia Champions League. The 26-year-old goalkeeper is born by FC Tokyo and FC Lorient and trained by FC Tokio and FC Lorient. He is about to play the most important game of his career.

How do you think about playing in a semi -final of the Champions League?

“To be honest, it will be my first semi -finals of the Champions League, so it’s a new experience, but I take it as if it were a match like any other. I don’t put any special pressure on it, although you are a club with big players and you are very strong on paper, you have individual qualities that may be far superior.

Al Nassr is a club that has been in the news since Ronaldo’s arrival …

“I think it is an opportunity to make my name known to the public, not only in Japan, but in international. So I take it more for myself as an opportunity to achieve a good performance.”

Is it scary to expose a team with so many big stars as Brozovic, mane and Duran?

“I think it is more of the team in general; after all, every player has different properties, so it is not scary. I have to go more after certain actions, perhaps from a distance, shots that completely differ from those I could get in Japan, dribble, cross …

“All of these things will vary depending on the players on the field, so I just have to be attentive and I can’t be the only one who pays attention. I have to instruct my defense so that you too are aware of these options.”

Did you work on certain things?

“We have no special training or something because we didn’t have much time to prepare (you played your quarter -finals on Sunday evening). At the moment it is more of a question of 100% physical condition.

“But I think everyone knows Ronaldo. Everyone knows their style of play, even if it is not the same Ronaldo as 10 years ago and they can see a few changes in their playing style. We should not only concentrate on him, but on the team in general and how to use your star players to win.”

How do you rate Al Nassr?

“You are a good team, but of course you don’t play at the peak of your strength. So there will inevitably give a difference to what you have done in the past. The Saudi league is not as good as the best European leagues, but it is true that it is close.”

Conversely, what are Kawasaki strengths? You managed to switch off the Katari League in the quarter -finals Al Sadd

“We have players with individual properties, but I think that the collective quality of individual quality is superior. So we know each other better, we know how to react in certain phases, whether it is defensive or offensive. So I think that we have a lot to play here. The Japanese style is more to play together to make more efforts to turn, and so on.”

Do you feel that the team is strong enough to go far?

“I think we have the potential to do great things. We don’t have to adapt and try to change our playing style because you are great players. On the contrary, I think we have to make things difficult for you because you don’t necessarily have much experience against Japanese teams.

“And I would not say that Japanese teams are ‘underestimated’, but there are many interesting things. They do a lot of things that may differ a little from the norm so that they can have a surprise. And in such games this is the most important thing and I think it’s one of our strengths.”

What was your goal in the Champions League?

“Our goal is to win it. In order to be honest, we have had four possible trophies this year since the beginning of the season and we want all four.”

Do you speak of yourself, how did you come as Kawasaki Frontale’s first-choice keeper?

“I went out and got it because it wasn’t easy. I worked hard for it. I started playing football in Japan with FC Tokyo, and then I spent three years at FC Lorient Training Center. I made my professional debut in Spain and then returned to Japan.

“When I came back to Japan, it was complicated to find a club of the first division in which I could have played from the beginning. And that was exactly what I was looking for. Japan. “

They started in Spain, but at the time it was complicated: they didn’t necessarily play a lot, they played for several clubs … Did you have any doubts?

“No, I had no doubt because I knew that it was experiences that I had to go through that I had to go through it to achieve what I wanted. And especially for a goalkeeper, it is very important to go through these phases.

“I think that all goalkeepers have gone through these phases, don’t have to get a lot of play and have to compete with many other players. And yet I think it is an experience that I have had. I think this experience helped me to get this starting place today.”

Did you want to return to Japan later? Be close to your family?

“Basically, I wanted to stay in Europe to achieve the top European level, and I preferred to go another way that I am doing at the moment.

“So it is true that my decision was not easy to be honest, but the fact that my family is in Japan was an argument that put on the balance. And I don’t regret returning to Japan. On the contrary, I am very happy. So it is a plus that my family is nearby.”

If you win all four trophies, your services may be noticed and you can return to Europe?

“Yes, that’s definitely something I hold.”

If someone had told you when you left Lorient that you would play against Ronaldo in a semi -finals of the Champions League, would you have believed them?

“Oh no, to be honest, I don’t think. I don’t think so. But that’s football. You never know what could happen. It’s a great opportunity. I can’t wait to play.”

Follow al Nassr against Kawasaki Frontale here