Matchday morning arrived quietly at first as the sun pushed through the thin curtains of the team hotel, but the city outside was already awake.
Yokohama always moved early, but today it felt different.
The air had a charge to it, the type that came with a match people had been talking about all week.
The Japanese news stations were looping highlights from the Singapore match, clips of Izan's goals running beside excited commentary.
One reporter on TV said, "There is strong anticipation that Arsenal will bring the same intensity tonight. Many fans are hoping to see Izan replicate his performance, especially here on Japanese soil, a place tied to his roots."
A young fan near the TV murmured, "I just want him to play more than thirty minutes at the very least since he played in two successive games. Damn, those Singaporeans had it lucky since most clubs refuse to play their best players too much during pre-season."
