I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but the Japanese football development structure was first designed on an American model. So, future footballer wanna-bes would have to get whatever training they could at their schools first, and then try and get into some of the J club youth teams before heading into a pro contract. This sort of made sense from a Japan culture point of view, but we've seen already that its too slow and vulnerable a plan, and this has delayed the development process in individual players. Not just the skills and such, but other things like maturity, independence and so forth. While European teenagers are already starting for top clubs in Europe, Japanese players are just getting their toe in on what it means to be a pro footballer.
In a previous entry where I introduced the Japan NT coaching staff, I mentioned that Zico's brother and technical advisor Edu had tried to get an academy started of his own. But there were financial problems, and really it is a difficult thing to keep going with little help. And most of all, places like Okinawa, where some of Japan's most rhythmically gifted, outgoing, athletic personalities come from, doesn't even have a local league club where kids could get organized youth level training. The photo on the right is of Christopher Tatsuki Kinjo, one of Okinawa's best in the U-12 group.
Well, thank god, the JFA must have been on the same wavelength in recent years. This past month, 662 children from all over Japan applied for the chance to join the new JFA Academy Fukushima. Kids in the middle and high school level will be picked from the hundreds after a three tier evaluation process (boys and girls), and they will end up living in the Academy. Christopher, from the photo, showed up at the J-Village for the evaluation and selection process.
The kids will live in dormitories, train under JFA coaches on the Academy grounds (there is a pitch set aside for them), and attend the local schools for basic education. On top of that, they will also get additional educational electives like languages. I forget what the final acceptance numbers are, but I think it's something like 15 for boys. Not many, but I guess it's good to start with a smaller group and see how that goes before expanding.
The JFA feels that if Japan continues with the plan they had so far used for the past ten or so years, we will never catch up to international standards. They feel that in order to close the gap, the JFA will need to play a more active role in developing promising players, 24/7. Their aim is to be able to have 3 or 4 national team members come out of their Academy ten years down the road.
This Academy is modeled after France's National Football Academy, the one that Zidane and Henri have graduated from. The French academy is I think about 30 years old.
During the selection trials, the evaluators looked for potential and natural football sense. For instance, during the lifting test, they didn't look at how many times a candidate lifted without dropping the ball; but instead looked at the the style of lifting, whether the candidate had a natural soft relaxed touch with the ball. In the 50 meter dashes, they didn't look at just overall speed, but also evaluated running form. They had speed-reading machines at 10 meter intervals so they could see what the increment by increment speeds were, whether the candidate decelerated considerably in the final 10 meters, what the acceleration was like, and so on. And of course the kids played a game at the end, and evaluators looked at how well the candidates could express their strengths, intelligence and style during an actual game situation.
This is really exciting stuff, and could make a huge difference on the future if done properly. Things won't go perfectly smoothly, that's a given, but if something valuable can be gained in the process for the kids as well as the Academy people, it will be worth it.
In a previous entry where I introduced the Japan NT coaching staff, I mentioned that Zico's brother and technical advisor Edu had tried to get an academy started of his own. But there were financial problems, and really it is a difficult thing to keep going with little help. And most of all, places like Okinawa, where some of Japan's most rhythmically gifted, outgoing, athletic personalities come from, doesn't even have a local league club where kids could get organized youth level training. The photo on the right is of Christopher Tatsuki Kinjo, one of Okinawa's best in the U-12 group.Well, thank god, the JFA must have been on the same wavelength in recent years. This past month, 662 children from all over Japan applied for the chance to join the new JFA Academy Fukushima. Kids in the middle and high school level will be picked from the hundreds after a three tier evaluation process (boys and girls), and they will end up living in the Academy. Christopher, from the photo, showed up at the J-Village for the evaluation and selection process.
The kids will live in dormitories, train under JFA coaches on the Academy grounds (there is a pitch set aside for them), and attend the local schools for basic education. On top of that, they will also get additional educational electives like languages. I forget what the final acceptance numbers are, but I think it's something like 15 for boys. Not many, but I guess it's good to start with a smaller group and see how that goes before expanding.
The JFA feels that if Japan continues with the plan they had so far used for the past ten or so years, we will never catch up to international standards. They feel that in order to close the gap, the JFA will need to play a more active role in developing promising players, 24/7. Their aim is to be able to have 3 or 4 national team members come out of their Academy ten years down the road.
This Academy is modeled after France's National Football Academy, the one that Zidane and Henri have graduated from. The French academy is I think about 30 years old.
During the selection trials, the evaluators looked for potential and natural football sense. For instance, during the lifting test, they didn't look at how many times a candidate lifted without dropping the ball; but instead looked at the the style of lifting, whether the candidate had a natural soft relaxed touch with the ball. In the 50 meter dashes, they didn't look at just overall speed, but also evaluated running form. They had speed-reading machines at 10 meter intervals so they could see what the increment by increment speeds were, whether the candidate decelerated considerably in the final 10 meters, what the acceleration was like, and so on. And of course the kids played a game at the end, and evaluators looked at how well the candidates could express their strengths, intelligence and style during an actual game situation.
This is really exciting stuff, and could make a huge difference on the future if done properly. Things won't go perfectly smoothly, that's a given, but if something valuable can be gained in the process for the kids as well as the Academy people, it will be worth it.
I mentioned the Hide Nakata goal during the downpour game against Australia at Yokohama stadium in >>this entry.
I found a video clip of that scene, so if any of you feel nostalgic, you're welcome to >>Click here to watch clip. This clip probably won't stay up for very long, so if you happen on this entry later on this year and want to watch it, just contact me.
I found a video clip of that scene, so if any of you feel nostalgic, you're welcome to >>Click here to watch clip. This clip probably won't stay up for very long, so if you happen on this entry later on this year and want to watch it, just contact me.
Gamba's Tsune Miyamoto received an offer from newly promoted Serie A club Treviso on the 26th, but the following day it was announced that Miyamoto was going to decline. The club are saying they will keep channels open for after the season. Miyamoto made his decision based on the timing, with Gamba having a great chance to get a championship this year, plus the NT preparing for the World Cup, it would be too much of a risk to throw all that aside and attempt something in Italy. And even if he had wanted to go, Gamba would have put their foot down.
I mentioned this before, but Treviso have also been interested in acquiring FC Tokyo's rightwing Nao Ishikawa. The Serie A club has one opening for a non-European player, and I guess they have been sniffing around to see who they can get from Japan. For a small team like them, the prospect of getting a popular Japanese player is appetizing. Even with the move of Sota Hirayama to Eredivisie's tiny club Heracles, the club has been basking/raving in the amount of attention this one Japanese player has attracted. And Hirayama is not a fraction the kind of star that Miyamoto or Ishikawa are in the Japanese football world. These two are very very very popular.
Ishikawa actually started taking Spanish lessons this spring, with an eye to getting some sort of offer from one of the Liga clubs. I'm not sure if a proper offer was made, or whether it was only an inquiry, but it is good motivation for J-league players who sometimes lose their way, their momentum, during the season (especially Ishikawa, whose club is in a big rut right now). And the more offers/inquiries they get, the better, as the experience itself is valuable for future guidance.
I mentioned this before, but Treviso have also been interested in acquiring FC Tokyo's rightwing Nao Ishikawa. The Serie A club has one opening for a non-European player, and I guess they have been sniffing around to see who they can get from Japan. For a small team like them, the prospect of getting a popular Japanese player is appetizing. Even with the move of Sota Hirayama to Eredivisie's tiny club Heracles, the club has been basking/raving in the amount of attention this one Japanese player has attracted. And Hirayama is not a fraction the kind of star that Miyamoto or Ishikawa are in the Japanese football world. These two are very very very popular.
Ishikawa actually started taking Spanish lessons this spring, with an eye to getting some sort of offer from one of the Liga clubs. I'm not sure if a proper offer was made, or whether it was only an inquiry, but it is good motivation for J-league players who sometimes lose their way, their momentum, during the season (especially Ishikawa, whose club is in a big rut right now). And the more offers/inquiries they get, the better, as the experience itself is valuable for future guidance.
Zico spent the last ten days in Brazil overseeing a Youth Friendly Cup competition between Japan and Brazil teams, but is expected back today. This friendly Cup included teams like CFZ Rio, Vasco, Guarani, Flamengo, America, Corinthians, Atletico Mineiro, Botafogoo, and Japanese teams like a J-league selection team, Kashima Antlers, and Kashima Norte. Both Kashima teams lost, against Flamengo and Fluminese, but the J-league selection team tied against Botafogo. >>Click to see some photos from Zico's blog
Zico will be heading to Miyagi to make the roster announcement ahead of the Honduras friendly on Sept 7.
If you live in Japan, want to watch an NT match, and are near enough (or willing enough) to trek over to the Miyagi Stadium, tickets are still available. This past week, JFA have been fretting over anemic ticket sales. Part of the problem could be that with the qualifiers over, people's gung-ho energy is a little low. Plus, with an opponent like Honduras, there is some ambivalence.
Of course, this was all before it was made public through some sports rag leaks (intentional or not, I can't say) that a number of European players are getting a heads-up regarding a possible call-up. We've heard that Nakamura's Celtic have already arranged a ticket for him to fly back to Japan after today's league game. And Takahara and Yanagisawa have gotten faxes saying they may be called, so get ready. Hide Nakata, I'm not so sure about, since he is not at full fitness and hasn't made it to the starting roster for Bolton yet, being brand new there. And Inamoto is just beginning to play for West Brom. Koji Nakata has also just begun to get a number of starts, so he may not get called to the NT either. But it may be the players themselves who desire most to get called-up, even for this one game. continues...
Zico will be heading to Miyagi to make the roster announcement ahead of the Honduras friendly on Sept 7.
If you live in Japan, want to watch an NT match, and are near enough (or willing enough) to trek over to the Miyagi Stadium, tickets are still available. This past week, JFA have been fretting over anemic ticket sales. Part of the problem could be that with the qualifiers over, people's gung-ho energy is a little low. Plus, with an opponent like Honduras, there is some ambivalence.
Of course, this was all before it was made public through some sports rag leaks (intentional or not, I can't say) that a number of European players are getting a heads-up regarding a possible call-up. We've heard that Nakamura's Celtic have already arranged a ticket for him to fly back to Japan after today's league game. And Takahara and Yanagisawa have gotten faxes saying they may be called, so get ready. Hide Nakata, I'm not so sure about, since he is not at full fitness and hasn't made it to the starting roster for Bolton yet, being brand new there. And Inamoto is just beginning to play for West Brom. Koji Nakata has also just begun to get a number of starts, so he may not get called to the NT either. But it may be the players themselves who desire most to get called-up, even for this one game. continues...
The Nakamura - Celtic Effect
Shunsuke Nakamura's move to Celtic has been providing us with a number of firsts. The most appealing news is that Celtic may allow Shunsuke to leave Scotland on the 29th after their game with Dunfermline today, which means he will arrive in Japan eight days before the National team friendly against Honduras on Sept 7. Unheard-of, during his time at Reggina, where the club was always struggling and fought to keep Shun as long as possible so that he could contribute to the club. Of course, the roster announcement has not been made yet, but I know Zico truly wants to call up as many of the European players as possible -- he did say that it would depend on the players and their situation at their clubs, and we've heard that Dai Matsui or Yoshito Okubo won't be getting the call-up until the NT tour of East Europe (games scheduled in the beginning of Oct, against Latvia and the Ukraine). However, we did hear that Takahara's Hamburg and Yanagisawa's Messina did get a fax saying that these players may get a call-up. continues...
Shunsuke Nakamura's move to Celtic has been providing us with a number of firsts. The most appealing news is that Celtic may allow Shunsuke to leave Scotland on the 29th after their game with Dunfermline today, which means he will arrive in Japan eight days before the National team friendly against Honduras on Sept 7. Unheard-of, during his time at Reggina, where the club was always struggling and fought to keep Shun as long as possible so that he could contribute to the club. Of course, the roster announcement has not been made yet, but I know Zico truly wants to call up as many of the European players as possible -- he did say that it would depend on the players and their situation at their clubs, and we've heard that Dai Matsui or Yoshito Okubo won't be getting the call-up until the NT tour of East Europe (games scheduled in the beginning of Oct, against Latvia and the Ukraine). However, we did hear that Takahara's Hamburg and Yanagisawa's Messina did get a fax saying that these players may get a call-up. continues...| HOME |
