Asked what he learned from two youth-tournament defeats on penalties, Japanese footballer Kaoru Mitoma said he had learned to stay calm on a big stage.
冷静に戦うことが大事 Reisei ni tatakau koto ga daiji Staying calm in competition matters.
Kaoru Mitoma · 三笘薫 (Mitoma Kaoru) Japanese footballer
For this autumn weekend, his lesson offers a useful reminder: when the stakes rise, keep a clear head.
冷静 (reisei) means calm and clear-headed. に (ni) makes it “calmly.” 戦う (tatakau) here means to compete in a football match.
A clear head can change how we meet a difficult moment.
Practice: 大事な場面ほど、冷静に考えよう。 Daiji na bamen hodo, reisei ni kangaeyō. The more important the moment, the more calmly we should think.
Original interview: Japan Football Association https://jfa.jp/match/news/00023992/