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The game against Australia is important, but the biggest focus is on the Korea-Japan game the day after tomorrow (10th). Japan, which has a large number of star players playing on the American stage, is considered to be the strongest ever.

Our team's strategy against Japan was outlined by reporter Cho Jung-hoon.

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The Japanese national team is looking for its third WBC title after 2006 and
2009, and the face is more spectacular than ever.

Both pitchers are formidable players, including Ohtani, who made baseball history with the best skills in the world, Darvish, who has 3 career major league wins, and Sasaki, a morning star who throws a 95 km/h fastball.

The interest and anticipation of Japanese fans is also at an all-time high.

Tens of thousands of fans lined up to watch the training, and long lines lined up from dawn to buy varsity merchandise in cities where the evaluation match was held.

[Ohtani/WBC Japan National Team: I'm nervous because it's my first time competing in the WBC, but I always want to play like myself.]

However, Korean baseball has always been strong against Japan, which has been regarded as a top power.

The two teams went head-to-head with the most elite members and went 165-9.

Heading into the WBC Korea-Japan match for the first time in 10 years, our team's greatest strength is the best defense ever.

In addition to big league keystone combination Kim Ha-sung and Erdman, prospective big leaguer Lee Jung-hoo, who will play center field, is good enough to face Japan on both sides of the ball.

If left-handed pitchers such as Kim Kwang-hyun, Yang Hyun-jong, and Koo Chang-mo can block the Japanese batting line, which has a large number of left-handed giants such as Ohtani and Murakami, the hero of last year's 14 home runs, they can create a game that will be remembered for a long time in this Korea-Japan match.

In the midst of this, Ohtani will be the starting pitcher for tomorrow's game against China, and he will only play as a hitter before Korea.

(Video Interview: Jang Un-seok and Yoon Hyung, Video Editing: Lee Jung-taek, CG: Eom So-min)

▶ WBC kicks off the 'Baseball World Cup'..."Australia is going to the quarter-finals!"