BUENOS AIRES, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan captain Rinka Yokoyama has praised the selflessness of her teammates as they bid for gold in the Youth Olympics girls futsal tournament.
The Asian team defeated the Dominican Republic 6-2 on Thursday and can finish top of Group D if they overcome Portugal in their last group match on Saturday.
Such a result would almost certainly spare Japan the prospect of a semifinal clash against Spain, who look certain to claim top spot in Group C.
"My team's strength is ball recovery and teamwork," Yokoyama said. "We value what we can do together much more than what we do on an individual level.
"We know that the game against Portugal is going to be difficult, so we are going to prepare for it mentally. We are very happy with what we have achieved so far."
Japan earned a Youth Olympics berth with a silver medal at the senior Asian women's futsal championship. The country also clinched third place in futsal at the Asian U-16 championships last year.