Japan quake adds to team’s worries ahead of Colombia opener

Japan has not had the best of preparations for the World Cup in Russia, and news of an earthquake back home added to their worries yesterday, while a false hotel alarm a day before their opener against Colombia did little to help settle the team.The four-time Asian champions, who also face Senegal and Poland, have undergone a turbulent 10 months since qualifying, culminating in the firing of Bosnian Vahid Halilhodzic, the former Algeria coach, in April after a string of poor results.Former technical director Akira Nishino, who played as a midfielder for the national side, was named to lead the Samurai Blue in Russia, and has been in charge for just three games in the lead-up to the tournament.The team woke up to the news yesterday that Osaka, Japan’s second-biggest metropolis, was hit by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake in the early hours, killing three people and injuring dozens.“There were players who were a bit shocked by this incident and they were concerned about relatives and family members,” Nishino told reporters ahead of Japan’s Group H opener at the Mordovia Arena.“They were concerned, so this psychological impact is something I am a bit worried about. But we, the team staff, are consulting with them and hope they will settle down.”At about the same time as the earthquake, a hotel alarm went off by mistake, leaving the Japanese players nervous and groggy.“The alarm continued for a while. Some of the players were delicate and nervous and some of them looked a little bit tired in the morning,” Nishino added.“So I assume there was some negative impact on the players.”