Woah. That was an awful game. I'm just going to blurt out my immediate impressions now before I lose the stomach for it. To be honest, I wasn't surprised -- I sort of had a hunch something like this would happen. continued
With the EAFF Cup starting tonight, I thought I'd include a light behind-the-scenes peek at the Japan National Team staff.
Zico has aimed to create a family-like atmosphere in the Japan National Team. For that, he has surrounded himself with a staff of specialists who have a long relationship with Zico as well as each other.
Eduardo "Edu" Antunes Coimbra is the technical consultant for the team and Zico's older brother. An ex-footballer having played in clubs like Flamengo, America and Vasco, Edu's coaching career includes gigs with the Iraqi, Mexican, Peruvian national teams. He's also had opportunities both playing and coaching for the Brazil Selecao.
Edu's main responsibility is to observe and analyze. During the first half of games, Edu leaves the Japan bench and finds a comfy spot to view the match from a high position where he can see the entire pitch, and relate his conclusions to Zico via walkie-talkie (see pic). In the second half, he returns to the bench, and the tradition seems to be that if the team wins the brothers hug and kiss. Zico trusts Edu's eye for players, and the two share the responsibilities of keeping an eye on promising J-leaguers. It is said that Edu was the one to whisper Tamada and Kaji's name into Zico's ear last year. And during the last few weeks of the J-league, while Zico was back in Brazil, it was Edu who observed the Hot Six games -- I imagine he had a big say on which new players to call up. continues
Zico has aimed to create a family-like atmosphere in the Japan National Team. For that, he has surrounded himself with a staff of specialists who have a long relationship with Zico as well as each other.
Eduardo "Edu" Antunes Coimbra is the technical consultant for the team and Zico's older brother. An ex-footballer having played in clubs like Flamengo, America and Vasco, Edu's coaching career includes gigs with the Iraqi, Mexican, Peruvian national teams. He's also had opportunities both playing and coaching for the Brazil Selecao.Edu's main responsibility is to observe and analyze. During the first half of games, Edu leaves the Japan bench and finds a comfy spot to view the match from a high position where he can see the entire pitch, and relate his conclusions to Zico via walkie-talkie (see pic). In the second half, he returns to the bench, and the tradition seems to be that if the team wins the brothers hug and kiss. Zico trusts Edu's eye for players, and the two share the responsibilities of keeping an eye on promising J-leaguers. It is said that Edu was the one to whisper Tamada and Kaji's name into Zico's ear last year. And during the last few weeks of the J-league, while Zico was back in Brazil, it was Edu who observed the Hot Six games -- I imagine he had a big say on which new players to call up. continues
Nakamura Arrives in Glasgow
Having received his visa a day earlier than expected, Nakamura speeded up his departure and left for Scotland on Thursday. Reports say he was greeted by some 300 Japanese and Celtic fans and journalists at the airport. At Narita, he commented "I'd like to first take some time getting to know my teammates; what kind of players each of them is, what kind of offensive style and tactics they use. Then build up my own fitness and condition. Little by little..."
In response to questions regarding Celtic's 5-0 loss in the CL qualifying round game, a BBC Sport article quoted him as saying: "People should have no doubt that I am still coming to Glasgow," he said.
"European football is not the only reason I will be signing for Celtic. But, if Bratislava can win 5-0 at home, I am sure Celtic can too."
"The main reason I am coming to Celtic is to help them become Scottish champions again and, if there is European football, that will be a bonus."
At Least This Bust-Up Did Not Involve a Japan Player
>>Click to Read Related Article on BBC Sport
The main news in Europe is not that Kashima beat Manchester United, but that there was a "bust up" between Van Nistelrooy and Ferdinand.
Japan NT Off to Korea
The four day Chiba training camp ended yesterday, and the Japan National Team hopped a short flight to Korea today. With injury problems and obligations to play in various club friendlies against visiting European clubs, Zico has been so far denied the time to see all 23 members in training together.
Only 12 of the 23 players were able to mark perfect attendance int his week's camp. Newest call-up Komano from Sanfecce was added on Thursday, so he was unable to meet up with the team in Narita airport and instead will head to Korea from Hiroshima island directly.
The team is in a rather unfinished (and unprepared?) state, but their task is to get the trophy. With so many new variables and lack of preparation time, I cannot tell you exactly what kind of team will show up to the first game against North Korea.
Troussier Can't Help Nigeria
I wrote in an earlier entry the news that Nigeria hired ex-Japan NT manager Philippe Troussier to take over their squad. But apparently the Frenchman is planning to undergo surgery on his leg/knee and has declined the offer.
Dai to Start in Ligue 1 Le Mans
The French Ligue 1 is gearing up for the start of their league games. Le Mans' Daisuke Matsui, having helped his team climb out of the division two, is expected to start in the first round home game against Champions Lyons on the 31st. He spent the break period at his old nest Kyoto Purple Sanga taking care of the sprain to his right ankle and building up his fitness. Le Mans have changed almost half their roster since last season.
Having received his visa a day earlier than expected, Nakamura speeded up his departure and left for Scotland on Thursday. Reports say he was greeted by some 300 Japanese and Celtic fans and journalists at the airport. At Narita, he commented "I'd like to first take some time getting to know my teammates; what kind of players each of them is, what kind of offensive style and tactics they use. Then build up my own fitness and condition. Little by little..."
In response to questions regarding Celtic's 5-0 loss in the CL qualifying round game, a BBC Sport article quoted him as saying: "People should have no doubt that I am still coming to Glasgow," he said.
"European football is not the only reason I will be signing for Celtic. But, if Bratislava can win 5-0 at home, I am sure Celtic can too."
"The main reason I am coming to Celtic is to help them become Scottish champions again and, if there is European football, that will be a bonus."
At Least This Bust-Up Did Not Involve a Japan Player
>>Click to Read Related Article on BBC Sport
The main news in Europe is not that Kashima beat Manchester United, but that there was a "bust up" between Van Nistelrooy and Ferdinand.
Japan NT Off to Korea
The four day Chiba training camp ended yesterday, and the Japan National Team hopped a short flight to Korea today. With injury problems and obligations to play in various club friendlies against visiting European clubs, Zico has been so far denied the time to see all 23 members in training together.
Only 12 of the 23 players were able to mark perfect attendance int his week's camp. Newest call-up Komano from Sanfecce was added on Thursday, so he was unable to meet up with the team in Narita airport and instead will head to Korea from Hiroshima island directly.
The team is in a rather unfinished (and unprepared?) state, but their task is to get the trophy. With so many new variables and lack of preparation time, I cannot tell you exactly what kind of team will show up to the first game against North Korea.
Troussier Can't Help Nigeria
I wrote in an earlier entry the news that Nigeria hired ex-Japan NT manager Philippe Troussier to take over their squad. But apparently the Frenchman is planning to undergo surgery on his leg/knee and has declined the offer.
Dai to Start in Ligue 1 Le Mans
The French Ligue 1 is gearing up for the start of their league games. Le Mans' Daisuke Matsui, having helped his team climb out of the division two, is expected to start in the first round home game against Champions Lyons on the 31st. He spent the break period at his old nest Kyoto Purple Sanga taking care of the sprain to his right ankle and building up his fitness. Le Mans have changed almost half their roster since last season.
Today was the last day of the National Team training camp. They played a practice game against the Kashima Antlers Youth team, and won 10-0. The game consisted of 30 minute halfs. Missing were the 5 Jubilo players (Fukunishi, Kawaguchi, Tanaka, Murai, Chano) and the two Antlers players (Ogasawara, Motoyama). With their two offensive midfielders missing, Zico played a 3-4-3 system -- or more like a 3-4-1-2. With the 1 being Tamada and the 2 being T.Tanaka and Oguro.
The second half, Zico tested out the 4-back defense. All four forwards, including brand brand new member Maki, scored two goals each.
Another New Call-Up
This team is continuing to morph and morph again. Now it's right side Atsu Miura who had to leave the team -- he injured his left calf muscle. In his place, Yuichi Komano from Sanfrecce Hiroshima will join the team tomorrow as they depart for Korea. I've mentioned Komano pretty much every time I talk about Sanfrecce, so you all know he was on the top of my list. He has a relatively muscular frame and I've been seeing some good crosses from him this season, though I haven't watched him much recently. Komano played right side during the Athens Olympics, and ended up injuring his collarbone during the games. He was later called up by Zico for a charity game between the Zico Dream Team and Niigata Albirex, to collect money for the Niigata earthquake aftermath. The Dream Team consisted primarily of veterans of the JLeague, but Komano was one of I think two players who were in their early twenties. I'm happy he got the call-up from Zico.
The papers today showed comments from Yuichiro Maki, who got the call up yesterday. He said that he was out with friends and had not been paying attention to his cellphone. When he did look at the display, he saw how many calls he got from the club GM, and his first reaction was that he had done something wrong and was in trouble. But it turned out to be happy news, and he rushed off to join the squad. He said that there is so much more for him to learn and improve, that it never occured to him that he would get called. He said that it's an honor and all he'll do is put his best performance forward. Unlike some of the other new members who were showing some nervousness in the first couple days, Maki said that since there were a number of players he knew it wasn't that weird. His father is a coach for an ice hockey team, and Maki used to play ice hockey as well as football in school. He plays physical football, and has gotten into a bunch of crashes -- his recurring injuries to his face ended with bone damaging the nerves in his cheek.
I'm sad to hear about Atsu Miura, as he's been keeping a great attitude despite not being able to make the starting roster on the squad through these years -- his profile at Vissel has risen, now being Captain and playing multiple roles for his club. His contributions behind the scenes to the national team have been great, and it would have been good for this young team to have someone like him in their midst.
So, suddenly it feels like a completely different team, doesn't it? The important thing is for all these new members to play and practice with enough impact that they will leave a strong impression in Zico's mind and challenge the more experienced NT members in their positions. This will inevitably lead to better performances from whoever ends up on the pitch. Luckily many of the new members were part of the Olympics squad (Moniwa, Konno, Abe, T.Tanaka, Komano) so they will have some understanding of the pressure of international games.
Japan B Squad
By the way, this is a bit of old news, but I never really mentioned it before. Japan is planning on putting together a Japan B Squad after the final qualifier against Iran is played on August 17th. The JFA will organize friendlies for the B squad to play, to gain experience at the international level. So many of the newer callups on the NT right now will have to fight to stay on the A squad -- if they don't they will have an opportunity to get more international experience on the B squad. The B squad will consist of younger players (in the early twenties and under) who are thought of as the next wave of Japan's future. I don't think the details have been hammered out yet, like who will coach, etc. I'm not even sure how the JFA will convince other countries to come and play a B team...financial incentives, I guess. The B squad is a between-Youth-and-NT-generation squad -- is the best way to define it. Maybe we should call it the Gap Squad.
The second half, Zico tested out the 4-back defense. All four forwards, including brand brand new member Maki, scored two goals each.
Another New Call-Up
This team is continuing to morph and morph again. Now it's right side Atsu Miura who had to leave the team -- he injured his left calf muscle. In his place, Yuichi Komano from Sanfrecce Hiroshima will join the team tomorrow as they depart for Korea. I've mentioned Komano pretty much every time I talk about Sanfrecce, so you all know he was on the top of my list. He has a relatively muscular frame and I've been seeing some good crosses from him this season, though I haven't watched him much recently. Komano played right side during the Athens Olympics, and ended up injuring his collarbone during the games. He was later called up by Zico for a charity game between the Zico Dream Team and Niigata Albirex, to collect money for the Niigata earthquake aftermath. The Dream Team consisted primarily of veterans of the JLeague, but Komano was one of I think two players who were in their early twenties. I'm happy he got the call-up from Zico.
The papers today showed comments from Yuichiro Maki, who got the call up yesterday. He said that he was out with friends and had not been paying attention to his cellphone. When he did look at the display, he saw how many calls he got from the club GM, and his first reaction was that he had done something wrong and was in trouble. But it turned out to be happy news, and he rushed off to join the squad. He said that there is so much more for him to learn and improve, that it never occured to him that he would get called. He said that it's an honor and all he'll do is put his best performance forward. Unlike some of the other new members who were showing some nervousness in the first couple days, Maki said that since there were a number of players he knew it wasn't that weird. His father is a coach for an ice hockey team, and Maki used to play ice hockey as well as football in school. He plays physical football, and has gotten into a bunch of crashes -- his recurring injuries to his face ended with bone damaging the nerves in his cheek.
I'm sad to hear about Atsu Miura, as he's been keeping a great attitude despite not being able to make the starting roster on the squad through these years -- his profile at Vissel has risen, now being Captain and playing multiple roles for his club. His contributions behind the scenes to the national team have been great, and it would have been good for this young team to have someone like him in their midst.
So, suddenly it feels like a completely different team, doesn't it? The important thing is for all these new members to play and practice with enough impact that they will leave a strong impression in Zico's mind and challenge the more experienced NT members in their positions. This will inevitably lead to better performances from whoever ends up on the pitch. Luckily many of the new members were part of the Olympics squad (Moniwa, Konno, Abe, T.Tanaka, Komano) so they will have some understanding of the pressure of international games.
Japan B Squad
By the way, this is a bit of old news, but I never really mentioned it before. Japan is planning on putting together a Japan B Squad after the final qualifier against Iran is played on August 17th. The JFA will organize friendlies for the B squad to play, to gain experience at the international level. So many of the newer callups on the NT right now will have to fight to stay on the A squad -- if they don't they will have an opportunity to get more international experience on the B squad. The B squad will consist of younger players (in the early twenties and under) who are thought of as the next wave of Japan's future. I don't think the details have been hammered out yet, like who will coach, etc. I'm not even sure how the JFA will convince other countries to come and play a B team...financial incentives, I guess. The B squad is a between-Youth-and-NT-generation squad -- is the best way to define it. Maybe we should call it the Gap Squad.
Kashima Antlers played Manchester United tonight. I missed a bit of the beginning but it was an intersting game to watch.
There was so much of a media blitz about Real Madrid this week that the other teams (like ManU, Bayern, Bolton) were sort of cast in the shadow. But watching the match, it is obvious that ManU have an overwhelming roster -- I think in many ways much more exciting than Real...though I'm sure some of you may disagree.
Did anyone catch the game? I guess you were all at work, so maybe you'll catch replay or delayed broadcast. The first half was a much more focused game from Kashima -- their team concept was clear and it worked. ManU took a little time to get used to the game. Masashi Motoyama and Mitsuo Ogasawara ducked out of their national team training to rejoin their club for this game -- and it turned out to be a great decision. Motoyama score both goals: the first at minute 4, when he found himself with the ball past the defense on the left side of the goal. He didn't hesitate and just shot the ball in with his left foot at an angle. His second goal at 24 mins was almost the same kind of shot. Ogasawara took little time to flick the ball to Motoyama again on the left side of the goal. He took a nice swing from almost the same angle as the first goal. It was a nice performance from the two internationals. ManU's goal at 7 minutes came from Giggs who caught up to a nice low cross from the right to direct the ball in at the far post. They created some other rather perfect chances, the most memorable one in the second half after Van Nistelrooy and Park had subbed in -- Van Nistelrooy opened to the right and heeled the ball back to the center for Park, who was right in front of the goal unmarked. Unfortunately for the visitors, his shot went over the bar.
The Kashima supporters were out in full force, and I heard a bunch of chants that I haven't heard during the season in a long time. The funniest moment of the evening was the one phrase I heard loud and clear through the tv microphones on the side of the pitch -- when (I think) Rooney's voice was suddenly soaring through my speakers saying "Ah, you **cker".
It was a heated match, with a number of jostling incidents and accidents. ManU's problem was that they let Kashima get the lead -- rather than trying to "entertain" the audience, Kashima played to win, which to be honest I prefer to see...a serious match where the teams aren't there to pat each other on the back with smiles all round but to play serious football. Kashima are often belittled by the great J community because they can respond to the necessities of the game as it unfolds. Kashima played relatively poorly in the second half -- they didn't have the same focus as they did in the first half, and were saved by ManU's mistakes. They did make a number of shots, a few from mid-range.
ManU didn't quite have the creativity they needed to break down Kashima's wall until Van Nistelrooy entered. Also it was fun to see Rooney out there in the second half, and he took one of his great canonball shots but the ball went a little wide to the right. Wouldn't we just kill to have someone with his power in Japan?
The post game interviews of Ogasawara (who accepted the trophy as captain) and Motoyama (who was Man of the Match, and exchanged jerseys with Rio Ferdinand) were also funny. Ogasawara must have taken a course or two in the Kubo School of How to Respond Without Emotion to Excited Interviewer questions. He had very short and played-down answers -- reserved and focused on the job done rather than any excitement over winning against a famous club. Motoyama was his usual light-tempoed self, answering questions with schoolboy goodness, "Yes, I was happy about the goal", "Supporters, domo arigato gozaimasu!", and didn't forget to bop his head in small bows left and right. It's so strange to see these two contrasting personalities work so well together on the pitch.
Meanwhile, FC Tokyo played Bayern and lost 0-4. Not a surprisng result as all of their top players are either at the NT training camp or injured. I'm not even sure who they ended up playing on the Tokyo squad. It was poor timing to lose everyone like they did, and I'm starting to get recurring nightmares about FC Tokyo's downward spiral... I really can't go through that again! I guess it was a good thing I wasn't able to catch this game live..?!
Kawasaki Frontale hosted Bolton, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Have not seen any of this game either.
Fiorentina beat Cerezo Osaka 3-0 tonight. Hidetoshi Nakata started for his side, despite the injury worries to his knee.
There was so much of a media blitz about Real Madrid this week that the other teams (like ManU, Bayern, Bolton) were sort of cast in the shadow. But watching the match, it is obvious that ManU have an overwhelming roster -- I think in many ways much more exciting than Real...though I'm sure some of you may disagree.
Did anyone catch the game? I guess you were all at work, so maybe you'll catch replay or delayed broadcast. The first half was a much more focused game from Kashima -- their team concept was clear and it worked. ManU took a little time to get used to the game. Masashi Motoyama and Mitsuo Ogasawara ducked out of their national team training to rejoin their club for this game -- and it turned out to be a great decision. Motoyama score both goals: the first at minute 4, when he found himself with the ball past the defense on the left side of the goal. He didn't hesitate and just shot the ball in with his left foot at an angle. His second goal at 24 mins was almost the same kind of shot. Ogasawara took little time to flick the ball to Motoyama again on the left side of the goal. He took a nice swing from almost the same angle as the first goal. It was a nice performance from the two internationals. ManU's goal at 7 minutes came from Giggs who caught up to a nice low cross from the right to direct the ball in at the far post. They created some other rather perfect chances, the most memorable one in the second half after Van Nistelrooy and Park had subbed in -- Van Nistelrooy opened to the right and heeled the ball back to the center for Park, who was right in front of the goal unmarked. Unfortunately for the visitors, his shot went over the bar.
The Kashima supporters were out in full force, and I heard a bunch of chants that I haven't heard during the season in a long time. The funniest moment of the evening was the one phrase I heard loud and clear through the tv microphones on the side of the pitch -- when (I think) Rooney's voice was suddenly soaring through my speakers saying "Ah, you **cker".
It was a heated match, with a number of jostling incidents and accidents. ManU's problem was that they let Kashima get the lead -- rather than trying to "entertain" the audience, Kashima played to win, which to be honest I prefer to see...a serious match where the teams aren't there to pat each other on the back with smiles all round but to play serious football. Kashima are often belittled by the great J community because they can respond to the necessities of the game as it unfolds. Kashima played relatively poorly in the second half -- they didn't have the same focus as they did in the first half, and were saved by ManU's mistakes. They did make a number of shots, a few from mid-range.
ManU didn't quite have the creativity they needed to break down Kashima's wall until Van Nistelrooy entered. Also it was fun to see Rooney out there in the second half, and he took one of his great canonball shots but the ball went a little wide to the right. Wouldn't we just kill to have someone with his power in Japan?
The post game interviews of Ogasawara (who accepted the trophy as captain) and Motoyama (who was Man of the Match, and exchanged jerseys with Rio Ferdinand) were also funny. Ogasawara must have taken a course or two in the Kubo School of How to Respond Without Emotion to Excited Interviewer questions. He had very short and played-down answers -- reserved and focused on the job done rather than any excitement over winning against a famous club. Motoyama was his usual light-tempoed self, answering questions with schoolboy goodness, "Yes, I was happy about the goal", "Supporters, domo arigato gozaimasu!", and didn't forget to bop his head in small bows left and right. It's so strange to see these two contrasting personalities work so well together on the pitch.
Meanwhile, FC Tokyo played Bayern and lost 0-4. Not a surprisng result as all of their top players are either at the NT training camp or injured. I'm not even sure who they ended up playing on the Tokyo squad. It was poor timing to lose everyone like they did, and I'm starting to get recurring nightmares about FC Tokyo's downward spiral... I really can't go through that again! I guess it was a good thing I wasn't able to catch this game live..?!
Kawasaki Frontale hosted Bolton, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Have not seen any of this game either.
Fiorentina beat Cerezo Osaka 3-0 tonight. Hidetoshi Nakata started for his side, despite the injury worries to his knee.
Will Shunsuke look good in green (and white stripes)? The Celtic website >>Clickis already gearing up for the tsunami of Japanese fans bombarding their site -- they've announced a Japanese version of the site will become available shortly. And they've even started planning for a, what else?, Japan Tour next year. Meanwhile, the man himself is cooling his heels in Japan waiting for his visa to come through. When it does, he will immediately head for Scotland. And with him a ton of stuff, apparently -- his kit of goodies, equipment, things that he needs to stay healthy and fit. He's even taking his personal trainer with him, I hear.Now that they have lost Nakamura, there are rumors that Reggina are looking at Takashi Fukunishi...hmmmm.
Fiorentina have arrived in Japan and are preparing for their games against Cerezo Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Tokyo Verdy. Hide Nakata hurt his left knee last week, and was saying he wanted to take care of it first, but Fio would like him of course to make an appearance in the three games.
Meanwhile, the future of Atsushi Yanagisawa remains in question -- his club Messina got kicked out of Serie A for financial reasons, and though they are appealing, it doesn't look great. There are rumors that the club may end up letting go of Yanagisawa. I have very little info on this, so don't quote me, and let me know if you hear further news. Poor Yana, he may never get that elusive Italian goal...!
photo from so-net.ne.jp/JEFUNITED/.I did speculate >>Click to read my previous post, and hey, I actually included him in my choices!
Jef Chiba's 24 yr old 184 cm Forward Seiichiro Maki joined the NT today. He joined Jef in 2003 after playing at Komazawa University.
Maki replaces Marinos forward Kubo who backed out because he ended up going ahead with an injection of some sort of drugs for his back/knee problem on Monday. Zico apparently was upset that Marinos had gone ahead with the injection after he played quite actively for his club this past week (albeit limited time) -- the drugs would basically mean he wouldn't be able to play for another couple weeks. There seems to be a bit of misunderstanding of some kind going on here.
Zico took Marinos and Kubo's decision as their way of safekeeping Kubo from having to play on the NT. I think he is taking their reluctance as lack of enthusiasm for the national team. Marinos of course, took exception to this claim, saying that they had scheduled the injection ahead of the roster announcement.
I guess there are two things at work here. Do you remember when Feyenoord put up a snit because "all they got was a fax" when Shinji Ono was called up ahead of the Iran and Bahrain qualifiers? Well, in the end it all got smoothed out with one simple phone call from the JFA. Basically, the Japanese thinking is that if the proper form is filled out and sent at the proper time, that's enough. The official seal is on the paper, and everything should run smoothly. But I guess what Feyenoord, and in this case Zico, wanted was a tiny personal touch. Especially in Zico's case, since this is the second time Marinos withdrew Kubo from an NT callup. And I think all Zico would have liked was a phone call or message, saying "thanks for the call up, I really want to play for the country, but hey this injury is acting up again and I'd like to take care of it now". Zico likes to call up his "regular" team, even if they are carrying injuries but are at enough fitness to play, because I think he wants to see the player for himself and have time to talk with them about how things are going. If he sees that the injury will not allow him to play, then he doesn't play or he is sent home.
Feyenoord were a little ticked that Ono keeps coming back from his international games with injury, so I guess they just wanted a little TLC. Zico didn't show disapproval when Yanagisawa talked with him about withdrawing from the squad ahead of the Asia Cup last year, though it did take a while to get back on the roster...but that could involve other reasons than his withdrawal.
In the end, Marinos are in the right. They had their reasons, and Zico/JFA have to accept that. The JFA don't have any problems with Marinos, so it's basically Zico's reaction that Marinos/Kubo is not respecting the process of an NT call-up.
It's also interesting how the clubs have prioritized the NT as well. Zico actually told the Jubilo players that they should stay with their club and play the friendly against Real Madrid, that it would be a better experience for them in lieu of the NT training. Vissel's Atsu Miura joined the NT today after his team's friendly against Bolton. And tomorrow/Thursday, the Kashima players will duck back to their team to play against Manchester United, and rejoin the NT as they depart for Korea on Friday.
But FCTokyo, who will be playing against Bayern Munchen tomorrow (Thursday), have said that the NT is more important and have not asked for their players back (there are 4 FC Tokyo players on the NT right now, and it's not like FC Tokyo has any other top level players except Ishikawa; in fact, I think Tokyo just announced Ishikawa, Toda, Kanazawa, Jan, and Lucas are all injured). I guess they figure with Konno and Moniwa still unused to the NT atmosphere and desperate to cement their position with the team, it was prioritized.
Speaking of the newbies, the Japanese media is having a field day gossiping about them. Especially FC Tokyo's Konno and Urawa Reds' Tanaka. These two are battling nerves, trying to get used to being on the NT. Tanaka is known for asking a lot of questions -- how do you do this, what do you do next, when do we do that? Konno was apparently finding it hard to relax the first couple days -- all those "famous" players, he commented doesn't know what to say. The other players are trying in their own way to make the new guys feel more comfortable; luckily, it's a very relaxed team that knows how to have fun and when to get down to business. Konno fans can rest assured, he's getting settled now that we are in day three: people like Doi, Moniwa, Nakazawa and Oguro usually are the ones creating a good mood through tough NT trainings and games. Yesterday was GK Doi's birthday, and he got the traditional Brazilian flour-and-egg ambush.
As for training, it sounds like Tanaka is showing some good hustle and finishes. Oguro and Tamada are doing well too -- the team did a game format training this afternoon, and these two were the chosen forwards for the starter team. Maki arrived in time for the afternoon practice, and I'm looking forward to seeing whether the speedy run-hard Jef philosophy will prove him effective in this team. Konno and Moniwa were also singled out by the media as showing gutsy tough attitude in training. Zico is spending a lot of time on goal-scoring -- he is especially keen on getting the players good and tired, and then making them shoot for goals. The reasoning behind this is to train the players to be able to focus and finish properly even when their bodies and minds are exhausted. He has been telling them to think, focus and relax before the shot.
I'll do a profile piece on some of the general characteristics of Zico Japan's training camps. I also thought it would be a good time to introduce the coaching staff as well, for those of you wondering who else besides Zico is involved in shaping the NT.
Sorry, everyone. I couldn't make it to the National Team training today on time. (They are training in Ibaragi prefecture today, and tomorrow.) It was like a four hour plus trip, and by the time I left I realized I probably wouldn't make it before the team left. I'm really sorry.
I guess I'll have to wait for the next NT game, the last qualifier game against Iran on August 17. I will definitely try and make it to one of those trainings, with photos, I promise :)
I guess I'll have to wait for the next NT game, the last qualifier game against Iran on August 17. I will definitely try and make it to one of those trainings, with photos, I promise :)
CNN didn't forget to sandwich in a mention of the Toda/Beckham spitting incident, but the focus of their Play of the Day was Taku Yamada's low header goal, the third for Verdy in their game against Real Madrid. "How did he get his head that low?" was their comment. I have to say, I loved this goal too. It was a speedy low cross placed perfectly just outside the right lower corner of the goal. Being so low, you'd expect the player to use his foot/leg, but Yamada fell to it with his head.
Hopefully, Verdy will be continue to play with this much energy and focus in the remaining league games.
Hopefully, Verdy will be continue to play with this much energy and focus in the remaining league games.
As I was browsing at the bookstore, the title of the Keiji Tamada interview article in the current issue of Football Nippon >>click for FN site caught my eye: "Why is it me? Why isn't it me?"
Doesn't that just fit Tamada's situation so perfectly? The late-blooming forward for Kashiwa Reysol was first called to the National Team in March of 2004. He only really started to make an impact in the J1 in 2003, when the manager had witnessed Tamada's efforts in the satellite league and decided to base the team strategy around the individual capabilities of his most adept players. But even after his emergence in 2003, the general Japanese footballing public did not really take much notice -- there were too many other forwards to distract them: the World Cup 2002 squad guys, the European club guys, the J-league top scoring guys like Kubo and Okubo. But it was Edu, Zico's brother and technical advisor for the national team, who suggested Tamada's name for a possible call up. Zico agreed with the assessment, and Tamada made his NT debut subbing in for 15 minutes during the WCQ game against Singapore. photo from sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp continues
Doesn't that just fit Tamada's situation so perfectly? The late-blooming forward for Kashiwa Reysol was first called to the National Team in March of 2004. He only really started to make an impact in the J1 in 2003, when the manager had witnessed Tamada's efforts in the satellite league and decided to base the team strategy around the individual capabilities of his most adept players. But even after his emergence in 2003, the general Japanese footballing public did not really take much notice -- there were too many other forwards to distract them: the World Cup 2002 squad guys, the European club guys, the J-league top scoring guys like Kubo and Okubo. But it was Edu, Zico's brother and technical advisor for the national team, who suggested Tamada's name for a possible call up. Zico agreed with the assessment, and Tamada made his NT debut subbing in for 15 minutes during the WCQ game against Singapore. photo from sportsnavi.yahoo.co.jp continues I wasn't able to watch most of the games from this weekend yet, but I thought it would be valuable to touch on a few of the results.
Gamba Osaka 4-1 Cerezo Osaka
It seems like the last Osaka Derby was not that long ago... Last time, the game was much more heated, with multiple goals for both sides. This time, Cerezo looked to have the upper hand with the first goal of the game at 9 minutes. But these days Gamba has shown that they don't go down quite that easily. Gamba defender Miyamoto looked to have scored the equalizer, but the linesman ruled the cross had gone out of bounds when it curled out. Things were looking tense for the second-place team, but Araugo pulled through (again!) with two goals for his mates. The third goal was an interesting one -- a cross to Oguro on the left, who tried to find a shot but decided to pass to the center to Araujo, who then sent it further right to Hashimoto who had run up to finish. The fourth was a well-controlled free kick from Endo on the left. His ball looked to be a cross to one of his teammates to head in, but it ended up perfectly missing everyone and entering the goal all on its own. Endo has been looking very good in these past couple weeks -- with a starting position waiting for him on the national team in next week's East Asia Cup, I hope he is able to continue the performance. Oguro was still carrying a slight injury to his calf, and he was benched. In the days prior to this game, Gamba manager Nishino made some comment about Oguro looking a bit off his game -- that it could be a mental thing, a bit of exhaustion after the NT games he played last month and the return to a busy league schedule for the past couple weeks. Oguro only got on the NT this year, and he has become THE spotlighted player in the J league. Though he seems to take everything in stride, the increase in attention, expectation, the number of interviews requested, his commercial gigs, it must all add up somewhere. continues
Gamba Osaka 4-1 Cerezo Osaka
It seems like the last Osaka Derby was not that long ago... Last time, the game was much more heated, with multiple goals for both sides. This time, Cerezo looked to have the upper hand with the first goal of the game at 9 minutes. But these days Gamba has shown that they don't go down quite that easily. Gamba defender Miyamoto looked to have scored the equalizer, but the linesman ruled the cross had gone out of bounds when it curled out. Things were looking tense for the second-place team, but Araugo pulled through (again!) with two goals for his mates. The third goal was an interesting one -- a cross to Oguro on the left, who tried to find a shot but decided to pass to the center to Araujo, who then sent it further right to Hashimoto who had run up to finish. The fourth was a well-controlled free kick from Endo on the left. His ball looked to be a cross to one of his teammates to head in, but it ended up perfectly missing everyone and entering the goal all on its own. Endo has been looking very good in these past couple weeks -- with a starting position waiting for him on the national team in next week's East Asia Cup, I hope he is able to continue the performance. Oguro was still carrying a slight injury to his calf, and he was benched. In the days prior to this game, Gamba manager Nishino made some comment about Oguro looking a bit off his game -- that it could be a mental thing, a bit of exhaustion after the NT games he played last month and the return to a busy league schedule for the past couple weeks. Oguro only got on the NT this year, and he has become THE spotlighted player in the J league. Though he seems to take everything in stride, the increase in attention, expectation, the number of interviews requested, his commercial gigs, it must all add up somewhere. continues
Verdy Names New Manager
There were rumors that Brazil-born ex-Japan International Luis Ramos may have been a good candidate for new Tokyo Verdy manager -- he has that never-say-die passionate philosophy and has the charisma to gain the loyalty and trust of players. (Ramos recently got the top level coaching license needed to manage a J1 club, and brought the spotlight on the Japan national Beach Football team when they climbed to number 4 slot at this year's Beach Football World Cup.)
Despite rumors, Verdy claimed they were only going after manager candidates from abroad, and this weekend they announced that they have signed the services of Oswaldo "Vadao" Fumerio Alvarez. He has a lengthy resume, which includes time with numerous Brazilian clubs. In the last three years, he's taken the reins at Atletico Paranaense, Bahia, and Ponte Preta. This is his first overseas job, and he will begin training with the team on August 3.
Vadao is known to be very tactically oriented; with 16 games left to go in the Japan season, I wonder how he will be adjusting the defense and whether he will make big changes to the roster or style of Verdy football.
Lecce Want Kashima Star
Kashima Antlers received an official offer from Italian Serie A club Lecce this week for their star offensive midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara. Ogasawara had a disappointing year in 2004, but since the J-league season has started has come through with solid and consistent performances both at his club and on the National Team. Lecca are saying that Ogasawara is their number one objective in this period of squad-strengthening. The club added that this transfer was not about the marketing, but that they genuinely want him as a player. If it is necessary, they are willing to hop on a plane and come to Japan to negotiate with Kashima. As for the Kashima side, they are just 4 point ahead of second place Gamba Osaka in the league -- Ogasawara has played a crucial role in Kashima's great run this season so far, and if they were to let him go it would probably only be under the most phenomenal of circumstances. The player himself has said that he has been hoping to go abroad some day, but that he couldn't really make any comment when things are still unclear. The club has given some indication that they would be more willing to agree to a transfer if it took place at the end of the calendar year, after the J league season is over.
The Older Endo Hops to Vissel
Yokohama midfielder Akihiro Endo made a surprise announcement that he is transfering to Vissel Kobe this week. He has played with Marinos for 12 years. Turning 30 this year, Endo had been gradually finding himself off the starting roster. It was not "big news" in the mainstream sports media, but the Yokohama fans are sad to see him leave the team after so long together. Though Vissel are currently at the bottom of the table, his main objective is to be on a team that will give him more play time. Though he was on the Atlanta Olympics squad in 1996, he may be more famous (at least in the mainstream) for his younger brother Yasuhito Endo, who plays at J1 club Gamba Osaka and also a member of Zico Japan.
Kashima Antlers to Get Forward?
There are rumors that Antlers are negotiating for the transfer of Leverkusen forward Fransa. He has made appearances with the Brazil Selecao.
Hiddink in Australia Almost
Now that Australia is part of the AFC, I guess there is one more footballing nation I have to keep my eyes peeled for. As we saw in last month's Confederations Cup, they are a dynamic team -- things will definitely get more competitive in Asia. Australia has been going after PSV Manager Gus Hiddink, and I believe the current understanding is that it is not 100% until Australia qualifies for the World Cup. He will be managing PSV Eindhoven as usual, but will also take the time this summer to look at the Australia team and individual players. The big IF, is qualifying. Australia have to beat the Solomon Islands this September -- then they are to play the fifth place team from the South America region in a two-leg play-off in November. Aside from his success with PSV, Hiddink is best known in Asia for taking South Korea to the Best Four in the 2002 World Cup.
Troussier For Nigera
Another familiar name from the 2002 World Cup for us Asia football fans. Nigeria announced they have contracted the services of ex-Japan NT manager Philippe Troussier to lead their national team through the Africa qualifiers. Troussier has previously found much success in Africa -- most famous in Africa for taking the Nigera team to the 1998 France World Cup, he was called the "white witch doctor" there.
There were rumors that Brazil-born ex-Japan International Luis Ramos may have been a good candidate for new Tokyo Verdy manager -- he has that never-say-die passionate philosophy and has the charisma to gain the loyalty and trust of players. (Ramos recently got the top level coaching license needed to manage a J1 club, and brought the spotlight on the Japan national Beach Football team when they climbed to number 4 slot at this year's Beach Football World Cup.)
Despite rumors, Verdy claimed they were only going after manager candidates from abroad, and this weekend they announced that they have signed the services of Oswaldo "Vadao" Fumerio Alvarez. He has a lengthy resume, which includes time with numerous Brazilian clubs. In the last three years, he's taken the reins at Atletico Paranaense, Bahia, and Ponte Preta. This is his first overseas job, and he will begin training with the team on August 3.
Vadao is known to be very tactically oriented; with 16 games left to go in the Japan season, I wonder how he will be adjusting the defense and whether he will make big changes to the roster or style of Verdy football.
Lecce Want Kashima Star
Kashima Antlers received an official offer from Italian Serie A club Lecce this week for their star offensive midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara. Ogasawara had a disappointing year in 2004, but since the J-league season has started has come through with solid and consistent performances both at his club and on the National Team. Lecca are saying that Ogasawara is their number one objective in this period of squad-strengthening. The club added that this transfer was not about the marketing, but that they genuinely want him as a player. If it is necessary, they are willing to hop on a plane and come to Japan to negotiate with Kashima. As for the Kashima side, they are just 4 point ahead of second place Gamba Osaka in the league -- Ogasawara has played a crucial role in Kashima's great run this season so far, and if they were to let him go it would probably only be under the most phenomenal of circumstances. The player himself has said that he has been hoping to go abroad some day, but that he couldn't really make any comment when things are still unclear. The club has given some indication that they would be more willing to agree to a transfer if it took place at the end of the calendar year, after the J league season is over.
The Older Endo Hops to Vissel
Yokohama midfielder Akihiro Endo made a surprise announcement that he is transfering to Vissel Kobe this week. He has played with Marinos for 12 years. Turning 30 this year, Endo had been gradually finding himself off the starting roster. It was not "big news" in the mainstream sports media, but the Yokohama fans are sad to see him leave the team after so long together. Though Vissel are currently at the bottom of the table, his main objective is to be on a team that will give him more play time. Though he was on the Atlanta Olympics squad in 1996, he may be more famous (at least in the mainstream) for his younger brother Yasuhito Endo, who plays at J1 club Gamba Osaka and also a member of Zico Japan.
Kashima Antlers to Get Forward?
There are rumors that Antlers are negotiating for the transfer of Leverkusen forward Fransa. He has made appearances with the Brazil Selecao.
Hiddink in Australia Almost
Now that Australia is part of the AFC, I guess there is one more footballing nation I have to keep my eyes peeled for. As we saw in last month's Confederations Cup, they are a dynamic team -- things will definitely get more competitive in Asia. Australia has been going after PSV Manager Gus Hiddink, and I believe the current understanding is that it is not 100% until Australia qualifies for the World Cup. He will be managing PSV Eindhoven as usual, but will also take the time this summer to look at the Australia team and individual players. The big IF, is qualifying. Australia have to beat the Solomon Islands this September -- then they are to play the fifth place team from the South America region in a two-leg play-off in November. Aside from his success with PSV, Hiddink is best known in Asia for taking South Korea to the Best Four in the 2002 World Cup.
Troussier For Nigera
Another familiar name from the 2002 World Cup for us Asia football fans. Nigeria announced they have contracted the services of ex-Japan NT manager Philippe Troussier to lead their national team through the Africa qualifiers. Troussier has previously found much success in Africa -- most famous in Africa for taking the Nigera team to the 1998 France World Cup, he was called the "white witch doctor" there.
I saw the video footage of the Celtic and Reggina sides signing the contract on tonight's sports news. The last part of the puzzle was for Shunsuke Nakamura himself to get the contract faxed to him and for him to sign. I guess he did, as the news has been confirmed by all sides now. (Please see the "Entries with Video Clips" category on the left menu bar to find Nakamura video clips)
Nakamura immediately posted a message on his official website. Here is the translation of his message:
"I wanted to announce to you all that my transfer to Scotland League's Celtic has been finalized. I received offers from Russia, Germany and Spain, but Celtic felt to me the club that most wanted me. That was my main reason for choosing them. Many of the players on the Celtic team are current internationals with their respective countries, and being on the same team with them will be a valuabe learning experience for me. And, though Celtic are still in the group rounds of the Champions League, they have a good chance at making it to the finals. It is an environment which will offer me a variety of experiences and opportunities.
Everyone has asked me "why aren't you going to Spain?" Of course, playing in Spain is something I have always hoped to do. But my true dream is not just to "play in Spain", but to "play successfully in Spain." For that, it may seem like the long-way-round, but looking at my 3 years in Italy and now this opportunity in the Scottish league, these will give me the challenges and experiences that will enable me to reach my goal of both going to Spain and playing successfully there. It may look like the long-way-round, but I believe it is the direct path to my ultimate goal. I still haven't figured out my schedule going forward, but I will post new messages as I go along. But first I just wanted to relay the announcement to you."
continues
Nakamura immediately posted a message on his official website. Here is the translation of his message:
"I wanted to announce to you all that my transfer to Scotland League's Celtic has been finalized. I received offers from Russia, Germany and Spain, but Celtic felt to me the club that most wanted me. That was my main reason for choosing them. Many of the players on the Celtic team are current internationals with their respective countries, and being on the same team with them will be a valuabe learning experience for me. And, though Celtic are still in the group rounds of the Champions League, they have a good chance at making it to the finals. It is an environment which will offer me a variety of experiences and opportunities.
Everyone has asked me "why aren't you going to Spain?" Of course, playing in Spain is something I have always hoped to do. But my true dream is not just to "play in Spain", but to "play successfully in Spain." For that, it may seem like the long-way-round, but looking at my 3 years in Italy and now this opportunity in the Scottish league, these will give me the challenges and experiences that will enable me to reach my goal of both going to Spain and playing successfully there. It may look like the long-way-round, but I believe it is the direct path to my ultimate goal. I still haven't figured out my schedule going forward, but I will post new messages as I go along. But first I just wanted to relay the announcement to you."
continues
When Real Madrid landed in Japan, Raul made a comment about how he'd like the team to get as many goals as they could ahead of their game against J1's Tokyo Verdy. Their World Tour has so far taken them to Mexico, the U.S. and China -- Japan is their second to last stop before Thailand.
The visits from these superstar teams are not only a treat for the fans, but also expose the J players to world class performance. With little other opportunity for non-national team players to know what it's like to play in a highly publicized game against teams with different styles and strengths than they normally see in the J-league.
But Raul's comment about getting as many goals as possible immediately brought up bad flashbacks to Verdy's 7-1 loss to Gamba, their 7-0 loss to Reds, and the 6-0 loss to Jubilo just over a week ago. (Not to mention their 3-0 loss to Sanfrecce just two days ago.) Sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach..? Perhaps.
Most people who sympathized with Verdy's situation were probably thinking, "well, even if they lose, it would be worth it if they could find some confidence and a return to their Verdy-like football. Something, anything, to get them back on track in the league games." Not many would have predicted the final outcome... a 3-0 win for Verdy. continues
The visits from these superstar teams are not only a treat for the fans, but also expose the J players to world class performance. With little other opportunity for non-national team players to know what it's like to play in a highly publicized game against teams with different styles and strengths than they normally see in the J-league.
But Raul's comment about getting as many goals as possible immediately brought up bad flashbacks to Verdy's 7-1 loss to Gamba, their 7-0 loss to Reds, and the 6-0 loss to Jubilo just over a week ago. (Not to mention their 3-0 loss to Sanfrecce just two days ago.) Sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach..? Perhaps.
Most people who sympathized with Verdy's situation were probably thinking, "well, even if they lose, it would be worth it if they could find some confidence and a return to their Verdy-like football. Something, anything, to get them back on track in the league games." Not many would have predicted the final outcome... a 3-0 win for Verdy. continues
Earthquakes and Tsunamis, and now Typhoon, oh my!
I forgot to mention that the Kanto area earthquake that hit on Saturday (5, in the Tokyo area) occurred during the Women's NT friendly against Australia. Japan won 4-2, coming back from being 0-2 down. These women will also be playing the EAFF Cup, and they are a very interesting fun team so if you happen to come across it on tv you should take a few moments to watch. Anyway, the earthquake hit during the game, and you could see all the players stop and look up (why do we always look up when there's a earthquake?), a number of shrieks from the stands as everything slowly shifted from side to side. It was a very big deal, considering the prediction that a huge and terrible earthquake will eventually hit Tokyo. What this earthquake did was expose how unprepared we really are if a Big One were to come...
There is a typhoon headed in the direction of Japan's Kanto area, and it's big. Why the weather update? Well, I had planned on popping in to one of the NT practices this week. The Japan NT rendez-vous-ed yesterday, and started the first day of training today...some running and a generally light workout. They will be on a plane for Korea on the 29th. The first game in the EAFF Cup is against North Korea on the 31st.
But with this typhoon, it will mean swimming pool-like pitch and dangerous gusty winds. You never know how bad it's going to be until it's actually, well, "here", but it does look bad. What's worse is that this will probably mean the team won't be able to do their regular practices outside...depending on how bad it is. They have practiced in drenching showers before, like prior to the NK game in Bangkok. But typhoon is another matter, and I have a bad feeling that they will end up having to make their adjustments indoors or changing the practice schedule. I'll have to see what I can find out. Would hate to fight my way through the typhoon to find the team isn't there!
Though the team officially started their practices today, it was sans 8 players. Jubilo's 5 players were kept back by the club so that they could play in the friendly game against Real Madrid on the 27th. Miura stayed back at Vissel to play in the friendly against Bolton wanderers on the 27th. GK Narazaki just played a game on Sunday, so he got a day's rest. And Kubo, as you know, was withdrawn from the call-up officially today -- apparently he wasn't confident about returning to NT play yet. No announcement has been made regarding a replacement.
Things look rather bleak for the team...
I forgot to mention that the Kanto area earthquake that hit on Saturday (5, in the Tokyo area) occurred during the Women's NT friendly against Australia. Japan won 4-2, coming back from being 0-2 down. These women will also be playing the EAFF Cup, and they are a very interesting fun team so if you happen to come across it on tv you should take a few moments to watch. Anyway, the earthquake hit during the game, and you could see all the players stop and look up (why do we always look up when there's a earthquake?), a number of shrieks from the stands as everything slowly shifted from side to side. It was a very big deal, considering the prediction that a huge and terrible earthquake will eventually hit Tokyo. What this earthquake did was expose how unprepared we really are if a Big One were to come...
There is a typhoon headed in the direction of Japan's Kanto area, and it's big. Why the weather update? Well, I had planned on popping in to one of the NT practices this week. The Japan NT rendez-vous-ed yesterday, and started the first day of training today...some running and a generally light workout. They will be on a plane for Korea on the 29th. The first game in the EAFF Cup is against North Korea on the 31st.
But with this typhoon, it will mean swimming pool-like pitch and dangerous gusty winds. You never know how bad it's going to be until it's actually, well, "here", but it does look bad. What's worse is that this will probably mean the team won't be able to do their regular practices outside...depending on how bad it is. They have practiced in drenching showers before, like prior to the NK game in Bangkok. But typhoon is another matter, and I have a bad feeling that they will end up having to make their adjustments indoors or changing the practice schedule. I'll have to see what I can find out. Would hate to fight my way through the typhoon to find the team isn't there!
Though the team officially started their practices today, it was sans 8 players. Jubilo's 5 players were kept back by the club so that they could play in the friendly game against Real Madrid on the 27th. Miura stayed back at Vissel to play in the friendly against Bolton wanderers on the 27th. GK Narazaki just played a game on Sunday, so he got a day's rest. And Kubo, as you know, was withdrawn from the call-up officially today -- apparently he wasn't confident about returning to NT play yet. No announcement has been made regarding a replacement.
Things look rather bleak for the team...
I haven't been able to really sit down and do any proper writing this weekend so far, but here is what's on my list for the week:
- Keiji Tamada profile. Despite the assessment that his place on the national team is slipping, he did get called back for the EAFF Cup. I found a neat little interview of his in the recent issue of Football Nippon, and I thought along with excerpts from the interview we could take a look at what's been going on with his performance in the J-league.
- Round 18. Seven of the nine games were played Saturday, the remaining two will be on Sunday. There was a relatively worrisome earthquake today/Saturday, which screwed up all the trains and subways. It did affect a few of the J games, but all the games were completed without any earthquake incidents. I'll do a round up of this weekend's games.
- We are hitting the halfway mark in the J1 season, and I thought we could touch on some of the overarching themes/concerns that became apparent as the season has played out. It never occured to me before the season started but in a lot of ways, this is a very experimental year for Japanese football. The clubs and supporters are encountering things they haven't had to really deal with before.
- The National Team will meet for training camp in Chiba prefecture as they prepare for the EAFF Cup. I am planning on going to one of their practices -- probably not the first day as they usually only do light running etc but one of the others. I haven't done this since I started the blog, but the national team practices are quite interesting to watch. You get to see which players are looking good, you see how they interact with each other in a relaxed atmosphere as well as in practice mode, and how Zico goes about whipping the team into shape.
- Keiji Tamada profile. Despite the assessment that his place on the national team is slipping, he did get called back for the EAFF Cup. I found a neat little interview of his in the recent issue of Football Nippon, and I thought along with excerpts from the interview we could take a look at what's been going on with his performance in the J-league.
- Round 18. Seven of the nine games were played Saturday, the remaining two will be on Sunday. There was a relatively worrisome earthquake today/Saturday, which screwed up all the trains and subways. It did affect a few of the J games, but all the games were completed without any earthquake incidents. I'll do a round up of this weekend's games.
- We are hitting the halfway mark in the J1 season, and I thought we could touch on some of the overarching themes/concerns that became apparent as the season has played out. It never occured to me before the season started but in a lot of ways, this is a very experimental year for Japanese football. The clubs and supporters are encountering things they haven't had to really deal with before.
- The National Team will meet for training camp in Chiba prefecture as they prepare for the EAFF Cup. I am planning on going to one of their practices -- probably not the first day as they usually only do light running etc but one of the others. I haven't done this since I started the blog, but the national team practices are quite interesting to watch. You get to see which players are looking good, you see how they interact with each other in a relaxed atmosphere as well as in practice mode, and how Zico goes about whipping the team into shape.
Dontcha just love all the speculation and rumor that surrounds transfers?Anyway, it's about 95% sure that Celtic have indeed signed Shunsuke Nakamura -- an official annoucement is expected tomorrow.
The deal: 3.5 million pounds (700 million yen), annual salary 748 thousand pounds (150 million yen), a three year contract and the transfer is permanent.
Reports say that the agreement was reached because Celtic offered generous conditions and appeased Nakamura's worries with the assurance that he will be a central figure in the team strategy. Celtic are in need of a "true" midfielder, one that can construct offensive plays from the midfield.
He's missed the deadline for the next CL game, but he will have to hurry to make it to the first league game on the 30th of this month. (He has already started training on his own two weeks ago.) His debut will be an historic day -- the first Japanese player in the Scottish League. Will the Scotland fans respond to the lefty's fluid style of football?
>>Click to see related article on ETims or >>Click to see NikkanSports article in Japanese.
The second update was announced, and there doesn't seem to be many changes in the top three for each catergory of each team.
The only change has been in the J-West Midfielder category -- the number 3 slot is now occupied by Jubilo Iwata ex-international Koji Nanami...he boots aside Toshiya Fujita of Nagoya Grampus.
Also, Kazu Miura, who just transfered to J2 team Yokohama FC will be disqualified from the voting -- which is too bad because he's currently in second place in the J-West Forwards category.
>>Click to see my previous entry listing the rankings.
>>Click to visit JOMO All Stars Rankings website (in Japanese).
As for the breakdown of votes according to clubs:
Oita are getting a healthy share of votes -- Oita will be hosting this year's All Stars game.
It's great to see Jef Chiba players getting so many nods.
Here's an old photo I found on Zico's blog -- it was taken at last year's JOMO All Stars. All the mascots compete in a penalty shoot-out... really hilarious, some of these mascots. The strange blocky looking green mascot in the mid-front area, is Mr. Pitch. He's the mascot of JFA's 100 Year Plan.. among the first of its goals is to get schools and facilities around the country to have real turf/grass fields (not just for football but for the better enjoyment of any outdoor sports). >>Click here to see some funny Mr Pitch promotional videos. Just click the Play icon There are eight videos.
The only change has been in the J-West Midfielder category -- the number 3 slot is now occupied by Jubilo Iwata ex-international Koji Nanami...he boots aside Toshiya Fujita of Nagoya Grampus.
Also, Kazu Miura, who just transfered to J2 team Yokohama FC will be disqualified from the voting -- which is too bad because he's currently in second place in the J-West Forwards category.
>>Click to see my previous entry listing the rankings.
>>Click to visit JOMO All Stars Rankings website (in Japanese).
As for the breakdown of votes according to clubs:
Oita are getting a healthy share of votes -- Oita will be hosting this year's All Stars game.
It's great to see Jef Chiba players getting so many nods.
Here's an old photo I found on Zico's blog -- it was taken at last year's JOMO All Stars. All the mascots compete in a penalty shoot-out... really hilarious, some of these mascots. The strange blocky looking green mascot in the mid-front area, is Mr. Pitch. He's the mascot of JFA's 100 Year Plan.. among the first of its goals is to get schools and facilities around the country to have real turf/grass fields (not just for football but for the better enjoyment of any outdoor sports). >>Click here to see some funny Mr Pitch promotional videos. Just click the Play icon There are eight videos.
it's true
Following up on my quest >>Click to go to the entry I'm referring to.
Not quite as 坊主 as I had imagined but...
sniff... somehow, I'm afraid to see him turn around.
I heard he borrowed Ogasawara's electric razor to do the deed. Apparently he hasn't had this 'do since middle school but thought it would be fun.
photo from 別館blog.
Following up on my quest >>Click to go to the entry I'm referring to.
Not quite as 坊主 as I had imagined but...
sniff... somehow, I'm afraid to see him turn around.
I heard he borrowed Ogasawara's electric razor to do the deed. Apparently he hasn't had this 'do since middle school but thought it would be fun.
photo from 別館blog.
Random chatter about the newbies: I thought I'd do a quick sketch of some of the newer members of the NT roster >>Click for the full roster, for those of you who don't follow the J-league that much. Who are these guys? What are they like? Click the photos to enlarge.
Of course, knowing how Zico is not prone to use his backups actively, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys don't get much/any play time.
As for the Kubo situation >>Click to read related entry, no decision has been made regarding his withdrawal from the team. However, the likelihood seems high, so we should expect to hear a last-minute additional forward call-up after this weekend's league games. I'm guessing Zico will want to take one last look at this next round before he decides on who to add.
Tatsuya Tanaka - forward, Urawa Reds
He's had to play in the shadow of Reds teammate Emerson, and in last year's Athens Olympics he played second fiddle while Yoshito Okubo (who is now playing at Mallorca) got international recognition. When he came back from the Olympics, Tanaka looked like he was a little confused -- whether to play to his own ego and get goals or listen to the team philosophy of "pass to Emerson". Zico has commented that after Tanaka came back from the Olympics he'd looked a little off. The Olympics experience was a huge disappointment for the young group of players. Their generation has been called the "chasm" generation... In other words their generation failed to produce stars during the U-19 stage. People mentally skipped over them to the next generation of youth. But Tanaka and his teammates fought their way through the Olympics qualifiers against tough Middle East teams like UAE, Bahrain, and Lebanon. In the process, they overcame various hurdles and gathered momentum -- the nation was really turning out to support this young group of footballers. The "chasm generation" monicker was still stuck though, and the only way for them to prove themselves was to get better results than their predecessors -- the 2000 Sydney Olympics squad that made it to the Best Eight. This Sydney squad contained many of the present NT members. Anyway, my point (now that I'm way off the path) is that Tanaka's generation lacked the international top-competition experience they needed -- but the expectations were so high that everyone was training ruthlessly to get on the team and play in the Olympics. A number of players suffered from over-training syndrome when they got back from Athens, suffering from insomnia and mental fatigue. And the players had to relive their failure when the returned to Japan. The country's reaction to their performance was less anger than a certain resignation -- there is still this feeling that this generation just doesn't have that top-class quality, particularly lacking in tough international experience. That feeling motivated players like Okubo and Matsui to take action and move to overseas clubs. Tanaka himself has signed on with an agent to start exploring the possibility of going abroad. Tanaka's main characteristic is that he's extremely speedy and moves efficiently, and should give Tamada a run for his money during the upcoming NT training camp especially if Tamada still hasn't addressed his trapping problem. Tatsuya is a bit straightlaced, not having the trouble-maker charisma of Okubo or the down-to-earth unpretentious appeal of Oguro. My personal wish is for him to not get so uptight during NT training, avoid beating himself up too much if he makes an error here or there. When he found out he had gotten onto the NT, he said he was so happy, that he would give it his 120%. He also said that in order to stay on the team, he knows he's going to have to go get goals when he gets the chance to play. His trademark goal performance is to kiss his wedding ring.
Yasuyuki Konno - defensive midfielder, FC Tokyo
Refered to by his FC Tokyo fans as "Kon-chan", Konno is probably one of the shy-est players in the J-League. He's a relentless unwithering mentally focused athlete on the pitch, but outside the game he is quite the wall-flower and finds comfort in any group by allowing himself to be the butt of joshing and good-humored picking. During the pre-Olympics training camp, there is a story that one sunny afternoon as practice wound down Konno decided to lie on the grass and shut his eyes. The manager and team decided to play a joke on him by quietly tiptoeing off the pitch, leaving poor Konno to open his eyes a few minutes later to find himself all alone. At FC Tokyo, it is the same deal, but Konno insists its all okay. "I think it would be over for me if the guys stopped picking on me in their usual way -- I'm really nervous about the NT, with all those top players. I don't know who would talk to me. I hear there's some unspoken rule about who sits where on the bus, but Doi (FC Tokyo and NT goalie) won't tell me, and Kaji (FC Tokyo and NT right side) will probably lie to me anyway. I think I'll just wait until everyone else sits to find a seat for myself." But don't let Kon-chan's social awkwardness fool you. He is a pitbull, and he outclasses Ono and Inamoto defensively. He has tremendous endurance, and got recognition during the Olympic qualifier away series of games when he played full games while not getting one yellow card. So he has stamina and knows how to tackle accurately without fouling much. What I also like about him is though he hustles without giving up, he doesn't let emotions cloud his judgment. At FC Tokyo, the one problem is that the team doesn't play sophisticated build-up football -- where the ball settles down in defensive midfield and the dmf essentially starts the process of the offensive play. FC Tokyo tends to just throw the ball forward and speed things along. In this matter, though, Konno seems to be aware of what Zico Japan's style requires of the dmf -- that it is the job for the dmf to steal the ball back and then initiate the offensive build-up. Konno has good ball feeds, but still needs to nurture his eye for the offense. "Of course, if I get called up once, I'd like to keep getting called. I'm the type of person who gets more and more greedy, so my ambitions grow with each step."
Shinji Murai - left side, Jubilo Iwata
Jef Chiba supporters are a little ticked with Murai's comments following his call-up announcement. He has been gushing about how transfering to Jubilo this season was what helped him get called up to the NT. Of course, Jef fans take exception to this statement, as Murai first started to get recognition during his days in the yellow jersey. It's hard to ignore the power of the Jubilo group, now that they have 5 members on the NT roster. Luckily he was able to recover from injury and show competitive performances as Jubilo shook off their atrocious poor start to the season. Born in 1979, Murai is part of the "golden age" group of star players like Ono, Takahara and Inamoto. He had once been called to the U-20 training camp ahead of the 1999 World Youth Championship -- but the competition was too great and he was not called back after that once. It was only a couple years ago, when Jef Chiba under wily manager Osim started to impress the Japanese football community. The recognition planted an ambitious seed in Murai, which grew when in 2004 he was called to the Japanese Selection vs. Hungary Selection under Manager Yamamoto and to the Niigata Earthquake Charity match by Zico for his Dream Team vs. Niigata Albirex. Murai realized he had to do something to challenge himself to improve, so he made the decision to move to Jubilo Iwata where he could play under World Cup coach and Olympics squad manager Yamamoto as well as with a large group of ex- and current internationals. The season started off badly for Murai when his father passed away in March and injuries followed. But he has just gotten married, and now with his first NT call-up, the momentum is in his favor. "I find that it's a lot of fun to play football where you connect passes and build up the play. I've always liked the Jubilo style of football. And at the NT, they play like that, connecting the passes. It's a lot of fun to watch... When I was watching the NT on tv, I would think 'If I was playing the side, I'd go forward more or create more plays', but now I'm not in the position to make such cavalier and arrogant statements. First, I have to get a chance to play and perform well. I'd like to contribute to both defense and offense. And only then would I see the hint of Germany."
Yuki Abe - defensive midfielder
Abe has the most beautiful free kicks in the J. He impressed the Italy manager in Athens with his two great kicks which resulted in goals. This year he made his international A match debut in the January game against Kazakhstan. I still remember how he quietly approached Ogasawara as he was placing the ball for a free kick and asked him if he could take the kick instead. Ogasawara immediately stepped back and gave him the kick, and the rest of the team sort of patted him smiling as they passed by to join the group in front of the goal. It was his first free kick in the national team. The ball was a low curling shot that went around the wall and headed to the lower right corner of the goal -- but the goalie got to it in time to slap away. He did contribute to one of the goals the NT did get, his vertical pass to Ogasawara was then sent up beautifully to Tamada for the finish. But his performance in the twenty minutes he played was so-so, still unsure of his movements. At 23 now, he's the captain of his team and is currently the top scorer as well. What truly has impressed me about him is that he has really bloomed since last year. He looks stronger, plays with more power, has become a leader, and is building many of Jef's offensive plays as well as stabilizing the defense. Jef is an attacking team, so they will play more in front than back. At the NT, though, the entire team has defensive responsibilities so he must focus on defense first -- no silly mistakes and no fear. Also, the dmf is the main balance-maker of the team. It is this balance that Zico stresses, so the job of a dmf is quite demanding. Intercepting opponent balls, coordinating marking duties with the back line, balancing when the sides go up, and building up the offensive plays. He has to show that he is physically capable of matching the opponent too if he wants to make it to the World Cup. The fact that he is a leader at Jef is big, though -- it's a big responsibility for a fragile team like Jef, especially after they lost so many of their core players. But he has a great calm attitude, and he has never shown to be panicky in games, whether at the J or international level. I'm really impressed by his presence in Jef this year, a little surprised that he turned out to be such a natural leader.
Of course, knowing how Zico is not prone to use his backups actively, I wouldn't be surprised if these guys don't get much/any play time.
As for the Kubo situation >>Click to read related entry, no decision has been made regarding his withdrawal from the team. However, the likelihood seems high, so we should expect to hear a last-minute additional forward call-up after this weekend's league games. I'm guessing Zico will want to take one last look at this next round before he decides on who to add.
Tatsuya Tanaka - forward, Urawa RedsHe's had to play in the shadow of Reds teammate Emerson, and in last year's Athens Olympics he played second fiddle while Yoshito Okubo (who is now playing at Mallorca) got international recognition. When he came back from the Olympics, Tanaka looked like he was a little confused -- whether to play to his own ego and get goals or listen to the team philosophy of "pass to Emerson". Zico has commented that after Tanaka came back from the Olympics he'd looked a little off. The Olympics experience was a huge disappointment for the young group of players. Their generation has been called the "chasm" generation... In other words their generation failed to produce stars during the U-19 stage. People mentally skipped over them to the next generation of youth. But Tanaka and his teammates fought their way through the Olympics qualifiers against tough Middle East teams like UAE, Bahrain, and Lebanon. In the process, they overcame various hurdles and gathered momentum -- the nation was really turning out to support this young group of footballers. The "chasm generation" monicker was still stuck though, and the only way for them to prove themselves was to get better results than their predecessors -- the 2000 Sydney Olympics squad that made it to the Best Eight. This Sydney squad contained many of the present NT members. Anyway, my point (now that I'm way off the path) is that Tanaka's generation lacked the international top-competition experience they needed -- but the expectations were so high that everyone was training ruthlessly to get on the team and play in the Olympics. A number of players suffered from over-training syndrome when they got back from Athens, suffering from insomnia and mental fatigue. And the players had to relive their failure when the returned to Japan. The country's reaction to their performance was less anger than a certain resignation -- there is still this feeling that this generation just doesn't have that top-class quality, particularly lacking in tough international experience. That feeling motivated players like Okubo and Matsui to take action and move to overseas clubs. Tanaka himself has signed on with an agent to start exploring the possibility of going abroad. Tanaka's main characteristic is that he's extremely speedy and moves efficiently, and should give Tamada a run for his money during the upcoming NT training camp especially if Tamada still hasn't addressed his trapping problem. Tatsuya is a bit straightlaced, not having the trouble-maker charisma of Okubo or the down-to-earth unpretentious appeal of Oguro. My personal wish is for him to not get so uptight during NT training, avoid beating himself up too much if he makes an error here or there. When he found out he had gotten onto the NT, he said he was so happy, that he would give it his 120%. He also said that in order to stay on the team, he knows he's going to have to go get goals when he gets the chance to play. His trademark goal performance is to kiss his wedding ring.
Yasuyuki Konno - defensive midfielder, FC TokyoRefered to by his FC Tokyo fans as "Kon-chan", Konno is probably one of the shy-est players in the J-League. He's a relentless unwithering mentally focused athlete on the pitch, but outside the game he is quite the wall-flower and finds comfort in any group by allowing himself to be the butt of joshing and good-humored picking. During the pre-Olympics training camp, there is a story that one sunny afternoon as practice wound down Konno decided to lie on the grass and shut his eyes. The manager and team decided to play a joke on him by quietly tiptoeing off the pitch, leaving poor Konno to open his eyes a few minutes later to find himself all alone. At FC Tokyo, it is the same deal, but Konno insists its all okay. "I think it would be over for me if the guys stopped picking on me in their usual way -- I'm really nervous about the NT, with all those top players. I don't know who would talk to me. I hear there's some unspoken rule about who sits where on the bus, but Doi (FC Tokyo and NT goalie) won't tell me, and Kaji (FC Tokyo and NT right side) will probably lie to me anyway. I think I'll just wait until everyone else sits to find a seat for myself." But don't let Kon-chan's social awkwardness fool you. He is a pitbull, and he outclasses Ono and Inamoto defensively. He has tremendous endurance, and got recognition during the Olympic qualifier away series of games when he played full games while not getting one yellow card. So he has stamina and knows how to tackle accurately without fouling much. What I also like about him is though he hustles without giving up, he doesn't let emotions cloud his judgment. At FC Tokyo, the one problem is that the team doesn't play sophisticated build-up football -- where the ball settles down in defensive midfield and the dmf essentially starts the process of the offensive play. FC Tokyo tends to just throw the ball forward and speed things along. In this matter, though, Konno seems to be aware of what Zico Japan's style requires of the dmf -- that it is the job for the dmf to steal the ball back and then initiate the offensive build-up. Konno has good ball feeds, but still needs to nurture his eye for the offense. "Of course, if I get called up once, I'd like to keep getting called. I'm the type of person who gets more and more greedy, so my ambitions grow with each step."
Shinji Murai - left side, Jubilo IwataJef Chiba supporters are a little ticked with Murai's comments following his call-up announcement. He has been gushing about how transfering to Jubilo this season was what helped him get called up to the NT. Of course, Jef fans take exception to this statement, as Murai first started to get recognition during his days in the yellow jersey. It's hard to ignore the power of the Jubilo group, now that they have 5 members on the NT roster. Luckily he was able to recover from injury and show competitive performances as Jubilo shook off their atrocious poor start to the season. Born in 1979, Murai is part of the "golden age" group of star players like Ono, Takahara and Inamoto. He had once been called to the U-20 training camp ahead of the 1999 World Youth Championship -- but the competition was too great and he was not called back after that once. It was only a couple years ago, when Jef Chiba under wily manager Osim started to impress the Japanese football community. The recognition planted an ambitious seed in Murai, which grew when in 2004 he was called to the Japanese Selection vs. Hungary Selection under Manager Yamamoto and to the Niigata Earthquake Charity match by Zico for his Dream Team vs. Niigata Albirex. Murai realized he had to do something to challenge himself to improve, so he made the decision to move to Jubilo Iwata where he could play under World Cup coach and Olympics squad manager Yamamoto as well as with a large group of ex- and current internationals. The season started off badly for Murai when his father passed away in March and injuries followed. But he has just gotten married, and now with his first NT call-up, the momentum is in his favor. "I find that it's a lot of fun to play football where you connect passes and build up the play. I've always liked the Jubilo style of football. And at the NT, they play like that, connecting the passes. It's a lot of fun to watch... When I was watching the NT on tv, I would think 'If I was playing the side, I'd go forward more or create more plays', but now I'm not in the position to make such cavalier and arrogant statements. First, I have to get a chance to play and perform well. I'd like to contribute to both defense and offense. And only then would I see the hint of Germany."
Yuki Abe - defensive midfielderAbe has the most beautiful free kicks in the J. He impressed the Italy manager in Athens with his two great kicks which resulted in goals. This year he made his international A match debut in the January game against Kazakhstan. I still remember how he quietly approached Ogasawara as he was placing the ball for a free kick and asked him if he could take the kick instead. Ogasawara immediately stepped back and gave him the kick, and the rest of the team sort of patted him smiling as they passed by to join the group in front of the goal. It was his first free kick in the national team. The ball was a low curling shot that went around the wall and headed to the lower right corner of the goal -- but the goalie got to it in time to slap away. He did contribute to one of the goals the NT did get, his vertical pass to Ogasawara was then sent up beautifully to Tamada for the finish. But his performance in the twenty minutes he played was so-so, still unsure of his movements. At 23 now, he's the captain of his team and is currently the top scorer as well. What truly has impressed me about him is that he has really bloomed since last year. He looks stronger, plays with more power, has become a leader, and is building many of Jef's offensive plays as well as stabilizing the defense. Jef is an attacking team, so they will play more in front than back. At the NT, though, the entire team has defensive responsibilities so he must focus on defense first -- no silly mistakes and no fear. Also, the dmf is the main balance-maker of the team. It is this balance that Zico stresses, so the job of a dmf is quite demanding. Intercepting opponent balls, coordinating marking duties with the back line, balancing when the sides go up, and building up the offensive plays. He has to show that he is physically capable of matching the opponent too if he wants to make it to the World Cup. The fact that he is a leader at Jef is big, though -- it's a big responsibility for a fragile team like Jef, especially after they lost so many of their core players. But he has a great calm attitude, and he has never shown to be panicky in games, whether at the J or international level. I'm really impressed by his presence in Jef this year, a little surprised that he turned out to be such a natural leader.
Yesterday was supposed to be the fateful day when Shunsuke Nakamura's transfer to Celtic was going to be determined.
But they had problems making final agreements (the public word is that it was a problem of Japanese image rights), and the negotiations were put on hold.
I wake up this morning and suddenly there is talk of two other offers. (Is this some sort of strategic thing, to wait for the Celtic's self-proclaimed deadline to pass before making this news public?)
Spanish Liga's Racing Santander has or is going to send an offer: transfer fee of 1.5 million dollars (168 million yen). They are the only Spanish club to agree to a permanent transfer and three year contract.
German Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund is the other one. Apparently offering 3.5 million dollars (392 million yen).
And of course Scottish League's Celtic is the powerhouse with an offer of 2.75 million pounds (550 million yen).
It's too annoying chasing all these rumors. So this is the last I'll speculate on this until an official announcement is made...
For Nakamura's sake I hope things aren't dragged out for too much longer. The clubs are starting their training already, and it would be a good thing to have as much prep time as possible, no matter where he ends up.
Where would you like to see him play?
I'll be completely predictable and say Racing. I really want to see him play in the Spanish style football. I think it suits him, and his motivation will be high because it has been a dream he's had since he entered the pros.
Celtic are enthusiastic, though, and that's saying something. They seem to have lost a lot of main players, so Nakamura would not be at as great a disadvantage if everyone else is "new" too. Celtic are a top team, so Nakamura may find it fun to play among a better class of players. But not sure about the league as a whole.
I'd prefer he avoid the German league. I watch quite a bit, what with Takahara and it being freely available on my cable package, and I don't think he'd enjoy playing at a struggling team there.
But they had problems making final agreements (the public word is that it was a problem of Japanese image rights), and the negotiations were put on hold.
I wake up this morning and suddenly there is talk of two other offers. (Is this some sort of strategic thing, to wait for the Celtic's self-proclaimed deadline to pass before making this news public?)
Spanish Liga's Racing Santander has or is going to send an offer: transfer fee of 1.5 million dollars (168 million yen). They are the only Spanish club to agree to a permanent transfer and three year contract.
German Bundesliga's Borussia Dortmund is the other one. Apparently offering 3.5 million dollars (392 million yen).
And of course Scottish League's Celtic is the powerhouse with an offer of 2.75 million pounds (550 million yen).
It's too annoying chasing all these rumors. So this is the last I'll speculate on this until an official announcement is made...
For Nakamura's sake I hope things aren't dragged out for too much longer. The clubs are starting their training already, and it would be a good thing to have as much prep time as possible, no matter where he ends up.
Where would you like to see him play?
I'll be completely predictable and say Racing. I really want to see him play in the Spanish style football. I think it suits him, and his motivation will be high because it has been a dream he's had since he entered the pros.
Celtic are enthusiastic, though, and that's saying something. They seem to have lost a lot of main players, so Nakamura would not be at as great a disadvantage if everyone else is "new" too. Celtic are a top team, so Nakamura may find it fun to play among a better class of players. But not sure about the league as a whole.
I'd prefer he avoid the German league. I watch quite a bit, what with Takahara and it being freely available on my cable package, and I don't think he'd enjoy playing at a struggling team there.