With the way the NT has been simulating everything for the World Cup, I'm starting to finally feel like the World Cup is a reality. Up until now, it felt like an abstract concept, but now no more dreaming, it's real and it's closing in...!
The simulation was done from start to finish -- the National team landed in Bonn and were whisked off by a bus just as they deplaned, no going through the immigration process. I mentioned before that the accomodations have all the usual facilities required (pool, etc., and the players are relieved to find internect connection), and the training ground and everything else is all done as if it were the World Cup. The usual NT chefs and nutritionist are also simulating their menus and shopping around Bonn for ingredients that they need (there are many Japanese foods available there, so they won't have to carry much over).
Of course, there are some things that cannot be simulated -- like the weather. And knowing this team, it is almost inevitable that smooth plans would be thwarted by a healthy amount of snow. As Zico joked to the media, we've seen it all -- typhoon, planes being delayed, earthquakes, torrents, blackouts, and no-spectator games... now snow. Hopefully there will be none of that at the game tomorrow.
It is too bad because today was the only day in which the entire team was at practice (most from Urawa and Gamba rested back at the pool yesterday with the physical therapist, and the 4 remaining Europe-based players only joined the team today). But that is life, and though there was some possibility of moving the practice indoors, Zico decided to just have their training session outside anyway, and after doing some drills, the squad was aplit into starters and bench for a mini-game.
The starting formation will probably look like this:
------- Takahara - Kubo
---- Ogasawara ---- Nakamura
------- Fukunishi - Hide
Alex - Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Kaji
----------- Kawaguchi
So I was right about Kubo (not a tough call there) but wrong about Hide.
It sounds like Zico is bringing together the Confederations Cup group with Kubo in for Yanagisawa. But it is the last chance for the European players to come together, so don't worry I'm sure Zico will make substitutions. As much as I want to see everyone play, it's senseless to throw everyone in willy nilly, and it is probably more important to see what kind of balance and chemistry can be maintained/created. Of course Zico always goes for the win, so the substitutions will also depend on how the game unfolds.
The general atmosphere in the team is good, with emphasis on using the valuable game time to seek out strengths and weaknesses, make adjustments, and play with focus on unified movement. It's my birthday tomorrow, and I am hoping they will give an elegant and winning performance.
The simulation was done from start to finish -- the National team landed in Bonn and were whisked off by a bus just as they deplaned, no going through the immigration process. I mentioned before that the accomodations have all the usual facilities required (pool, etc., and the players are relieved to find internect connection), and the training ground and everything else is all done as if it were the World Cup. The usual NT chefs and nutritionist are also simulating their menus and shopping around Bonn for ingredients that they need (there are many Japanese foods available there, so they won't have to carry much over).
Of course, there are some things that cannot be simulated -- like the weather. And knowing this team, it is almost inevitable that smooth plans would be thwarted by a healthy amount of snow. As Zico joked to the media, we've seen it all -- typhoon, planes being delayed, earthquakes, torrents, blackouts, and no-spectator games... now snow. Hopefully there will be none of that at the game tomorrow.
It is too bad because today was the only day in which the entire team was at practice (most from Urawa and Gamba rested back at the pool yesterday with the physical therapist, and the 4 remaining Europe-based players only joined the team today). But that is life, and though there was some possibility of moving the practice indoors, Zico decided to just have their training session outside anyway, and after doing some drills, the squad was aplit into starters and bench for a mini-game.
The starting formation will probably look like this:
------- Takahara - Kubo
---- Ogasawara ---- Nakamura
------- Fukunishi - Hide
Alex - Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Kaji
----------- Kawaguchi
So I was right about Kubo (not a tough call there) but wrong about Hide.
It sounds like Zico is bringing together the Confederations Cup group with Kubo in for Yanagisawa. But it is the last chance for the European players to come together, so don't worry I'm sure Zico will make substitutions. As much as I want to see everyone play, it's senseless to throw everyone in willy nilly, and it is probably more important to see what kind of balance and chemistry can be maintained/created. Of course Zico always goes for the win, so the substitutions will also depend on how the game unfolds.
The general atmosphere in the team is good, with emphasis on using the valuable game time to seek out strengths and weaknesses, make adjustments, and play with focus on unified movement. It's my birthday tomorrow, and I am hoping they will give an elegant and winning performance.
For those of you eager to get more info on Serbia & Montenegro league club Red Star, and news of Takayuki Suzuki, This English site kindly translates Serbian news. They have posted an interview with Suzuki right after he arrived there.
>>FC Red Star Belgrade English news website
For Suzuki's interview, go to the News link on the left column, choose News Overview, and the article was posted 15.2.06.
>>FC Red Star Belgrade English news website
For Suzuki's interview, go to the News link on the left column, choose News Overview, and the article was posted 15.2.06.
Koji Nakata started for the second game at his new club Swiss league's superclub FC Basel this Sunday against Yverdon. The system used was 4-4-2, and Koji was a left midfielder, and throughout much of the game played almost like a wing. At the 7th minute, he took the first shot of the game. He continued to play ambitiously, maintaining a high position, which led to his goal at 45 minutes -- a header off a cross from the left.
>>This Swiss news site has video highlights. At the top of the page, there is a chart/list of the fixtures under the heading "Videos", find the icon on the right that corresponds to the Basel vs Yverdon game. Koji is #6.
For more pics, check out FC Basel's >>photo gallery.
Since Koji did not score during his time at Marseille, this is his first "overseas goal". And his first goal since the goal he scored against China during the 2004 Asia Cup Finals. Congrats, Koji!
He was taken off at halftime, and got a warm round of applause from the supporters.
As for how he is getting along at the club, Koji said on >>his website that he is really liking it there. The team has a very tight family atmosphere and people have been kind. Though the official language is Swiss German, many players also speak French and/or English. Because Basel pretty much outpowers all the other clubs in the league, the real juice may be in the UEFA games -- Basel are in the same group as Red Star (where Takayuki Suzuki plays), but I think Koji is not registered to play in UEFA yet.
2006 Xerox Super Cup Gamba Osaka 3-1 Urawa Reds
@ Kokuritsu Stadium, 35,674 attendance
Gamba: Own Goal 2 min
Reds: Horinouchi 9 min, Washington 17 min, Ponte 51 min
>>J's Goal provided from-the-pitch footage stream
Tickets for this game apparently sold out with 45 minutes of going on sale, and it was a great pre-season event, heating things up for the opening round of the J1 season (J-league starts on March 4).
Needless to say, these two teams are at the top of the watch list this season, after bringing in some notable new transfers.
Gamba Osaka's Game
Despite the result, and the fact that it was a game with a title at stake, the Gamba side are not demolished by the outcome of the match in terms of their optimism regarding the season. Due to national team responsibilities, Endo, Miyamoto, and new transfer in Kaji (from FC Tokyo) have barely trained with the team, and only Endo was started in this game from the NT group.
In the first half, Gamba looked understandably awkward. First, with goal-getters Oguro and Araujo gone (these two alone scored the majority of goals last season), new acquisition Magno Alves (from Oita Trinita) was left stranded up top and the team couldn't find much in the shape of attack. They got the first goal off a set piece, but that was an own goal. New transfer Myojin (from Kashiwa Reysol; many of you probably remember him from his NT days) was placed as right defender in the 3-back formation, but that is not the position he has normally played, and there was a certain amount of discomfort in the communication there. Still, he has a lot of experience and wasn't so bad. And with the play being balanced by Endo and Hashimoto in midfield, there was a certain degree of potential seen in the attack.
In the second half, Gamba manager Nishono decided he would throw Kaji into right back and change the system to 4-back, and sent in forward Bando (from Vissel Kobe). These two made a positive difference to the team, and there was more flow to their game. Reds lost some of their momentum with the score at 3-1, but it was clear that Gamba was controlling more of the second half and made a number of promising plays. The problem being with that last bit of finishing and timing. Bando tangled nicely with his teammates, keeping an eye on their positioning; Kaji's strength on the right, moving up and down the length of the pitch, brought more variation.
Urawa Reds' Game
For Urawa, this was the first step in a year that promises to be perhaps their biggest, in terms of winning the league title. Their new squad gives off an unbeatable impression -- not only do they have Ono back from Feyenoord, they got Washington (from Tokyo Verdy), not to mention the many other players who have been tied to the national team in the recent year. And waiting in the wings is Tatsuya Tanaka, and new transfer Soma (from Verdy) who many expect will threaten Santos' place on the left. And then you have Ponte, who is now even more free to play creatively with Ono next to him sharing the game making responsibilities.
Before the game there were some concerns about the balance, with Washington up top, Ponte and Ono under him, Hasebe and Keita Suzuki behind them. Just a few minutes after they gave up the own goal to Gamba, Reds equalized off a FK from the left. At 17 min, a lovely vertical pass from Ono up to Washington allowed him a one-on-one meeting with the goalie, ending with a good shot for goal number two. At 51 mins, a mid-range shot from Ponte sealed the deal.
What was most notable was the amount of pressure Reds put on in defense. The goal from Washington was set up first because the pressure Reds put on Gamba's possession forced them to make errors in passing -- that error was intercepted by Ono for the feed forward. The goal from Ponte also came from pressure as well -- Washington scrambled for a loose ball inside the Gamba box against two defenders, and the loose ball was pounced on by Santos and Ponte. Santos got possession and sent it to Ponte for the shot.
In offense, we also saw Washington being used well (despite the fact that he still isn't quite at top form yet) -- he played post to allow Hasebe and Ponte and Ono up with quick little passes, and the tempo was very good. Horinouchi, despite being a defender, also was aggressive about timing his runs forward and was involved in several almost-goals. It feels like there is a sense of healthy competition within the club, now that there are almost more quality players than there are positions available.
Things slowed down in the second half, after an almost too-spirited first half for Reds. And because Gamba put on the pressure by substituting Kaji and Bando, Reds manager Buchwald decided to take Ono and Santos off for Hosogai (left side) and Nagai. When questioned why he did not use Soma for Santos, Buchwald said that he wanted to stabilize the defense, and Hosogai was a more defensive player.
@ Kokuritsu Stadium, 35,674 attendance
Gamba: Own Goal 2 min
Reds: Horinouchi 9 min, Washington 17 min, Ponte 51 min
>>J's Goal provided from-the-pitch footage stream
Tickets for this game apparently sold out with 45 minutes of going on sale, and it was a great pre-season event, heating things up for the opening round of the J1 season (J-league starts on March 4).
Needless to say, these two teams are at the top of the watch list this season, after bringing in some notable new transfers.
Gamba Osaka's Game
Despite the result, and the fact that it was a game with a title at stake, the Gamba side are not demolished by the outcome of the match in terms of their optimism regarding the season. Due to national team responsibilities, Endo, Miyamoto, and new transfer in Kaji (from FC Tokyo) have barely trained with the team, and only Endo was started in this game from the NT group.
In the first half, Gamba looked understandably awkward. First, with goal-getters Oguro and Araujo gone (these two alone scored the majority of goals last season), new acquisition Magno Alves (from Oita Trinita) was left stranded up top and the team couldn't find much in the shape of attack. They got the first goal off a set piece, but that was an own goal. New transfer Myojin (from Kashiwa Reysol; many of you probably remember him from his NT days) was placed as right defender in the 3-back formation, but that is not the position he has normally played, and there was a certain amount of discomfort in the communication there. Still, he has a lot of experience and wasn't so bad. And with the play being balanced by Endo and Hashimoto in midfield, there was a certain degree of potential seen in the attack.
In the second half, Gamba manager Nishono decided he would throw Kaji into right back and change the system to 4-back, and sent in forward Bando (from Vissel Kobe). These two made a positive difference to the team, and there was more flow to their game. Reds lost some of their momentum with the score at 3-1, but it was clear that Gamba was controlling more of the second half and made a number of promising plays. The problem being with that last bit of finishing and timing. Bando tangled nicely with his teammates, keeping an eye on their positioning; Kaji's strength on the right, moving up and down the length of the pitch, brought more variation.
Urawa Reds' Game
For Urawa, this was the first step in a year that promises to be perhaps their biggest, in terms of winning the league title. Their new squad gives off an unbeatable impression -- not only do they have Ono back from Feyenoord, they got Washington (from Tokyo Verdy), not to mention the many other players who have been tied to the national team in the recent year. And waiting in the wings is Tatsuya Tanaka, and new transfer Soma (from Verdy) who many expect will threaten Santos' place on the left. And then you have Ponte, who is now even more free to play creatively with Ono next to him sharing the game making responsibilities.
Before the game there were some concerns about the balance, with Washington up top, Ponte and Ono under him, Hasebe and Keita Suzuki behind them. Just a few minutes after they gave up the own goal to Gamba, Reds equalized off a FK from the left. At 17 min, a lovely vertical pass from Ono up to Washington allowed him a one-on-one meeting with the goalie, ending with a good shot for goal number two. At 51 mins, a mid-range shot from Ponte sealed the deal.
What was most notable was the amount of pressure Reds put on in defense. The goal from Washington was set up first because the pressure Reds put on Gamba's possession forced them to make errors in passing -- that error was intercepted by Ono for the feed forward. The goal from Ponte also came from pressure as well -- Washington scrambled for a loose ball inside the Gamba box against two defenders, and the loose ball was pounced on by Santos and Ponte. Santos got possession and sent it to Ponte for the shot.
In offense, we also saw Washington being used well (despite the fact that he still isn't quite at top form yet) -- he played post to allow Hasebe and Ponte and Ono up with quick little passes, and the tempo was very good. Horinouchi, despite being a defender, also was aggressive about timing his runs forward and was involved in several almost-goals. It feels like there is a sense of healthy competition within the club, now that there are almost more quality players than there are positions available.
Things slowed down in the second half, after an almost too-spirited first half for Reds. And because Gamba put on the pressure by substituting Kaji and Bando, Reds manager Buchwald decided to take Ono and Santos off for Hosogai (left side) and Nagai. When questioned why he did not use Soma for Santos, Buchwald said that he wanted to stabilize the defense, and Hosogai was a more defensive player.
Bonn is such a great name... I did a report on Beethoven when I was in grade school, so that's the first thing I think of everytime I hear the name. Funny how these things stick to you from childhood.
The core group left Japan for Germany on Saturday, and those from Reds and Gamba took a later flight that met up with Zico and Daisuke Matsui (Zico attended Dai's Saturday game in France) in Berlin. It was defender Yuji Nakazawa's birthday this Saturday -- Happy Birthday! I remember doing a >>profile on him last year on his birthday, and it's very strange to think how quickly this year has gone.
This morning the team, now joined by Nakamura, Matsui, Yanagisawa, and Oguro, trained in a light flurry of snow. I mentioned before that they are testing out the facilities they will be using for the World Cup (Japan's camp will be in Bonn), including the hotel and the practice grounds.
Since Takahara, Nakata, Inamoto and Koji have games to play today (Sunday), they will only be able to meet up with the team on Monday, the day before the game.
Since this is the last game that Zico has the authority to call his Europe-based players until June (aside from Yanagisawa, who is returning to Kashima this week), I wonder if he will force an all-Europe formation, or pick and choose according to balance.
Will Hide be used as an offensive half? Probably, though we've seen countless times that he is better another step back.
Will he insist on starting Kubo over Oguro? Probably, as Kubo is at the top of the forwards list, and Zico will want to see how he meshes with Nakamura (who loves him) and the others. The only thing preventing this would be if there is an issue about Kubo's condition.
The formation will most likely be 4-4-2, but in what combination, I am not sure.
From left to right: Nakazawa, Yanagisawa, Oguro, Miyamoto, Ogasawara, Nakamura, Tanaka, Komano, Matsui, Fukunishi. And in front, in grey is physical coach, Satouchi.
The core group left Japan for Germany on Saturday, and those from Reds and Gamba took a later flight that met up with Zico and Daisuke Matsui (Zico attended Dai's Saturday game in France) in Berlin. It was defender Yuji Nakazawa's birthday this Saturday -- Happy Birthday! I remember doing a >>profile on him last year on his birthday, and it's very strange to think how quickly this year has gone.
This morning the team, now joined by Nakamura, Matsui, Yanagisawa, and Oguro, trained in a light flurry of snow. I mentioned before that they are testing out the facilities they will be using for the World Cup (Japan's camp will be in Bonn), including the hotel and the practice grounds.
Since Takahara, Nakata, Inamoto and Koji have games to play today (Sunday), they will only be able to meet up with the team on Monday, the day before the game.
Since this is the last game that Zico has the authority to call his Europe-based players until June (aside from Yanagisawa, who is returning to Kashima this week), I wonder if he will force an all-Europe formation, or pick and choose according to balance.
Will Hide be used as an offensive half? Probably, though we've seen countless times that he is better another step back.
Will he insist on starting Kubo over Oguro? Probably, as Kubo is at the top of the forwards list, and Zico will want to see how he meshes with Nakamura (who loves him) and the others. The only thing preventing this would be if there is an issue about Kubo's condition.
The formation will most likely be 4-4-2, but in what combination, I am not sure.
From left to right: Nakazawa, Yanagisawa, Oguro, Miyamoto, Ogasawara, Nakamura, Tanaka, Komano, Matsui, Fukunishi. And in front, in grey is physical coach, Satouchi.
The Xerox Super Cup will kick off on Saturday (tomorrow) at 13:35 Japan time.
League Champs Gamba Osaka vs Emperor's Cup Winner Urawa Reds
The J-league site has set up a website >>here and if you're interested in destop wallpaper, >>here are two offical poster images
For those of you who can understand some Japanese, they will be broadcasting the coverage of the game >>Here via internet radio. At the time of the game, the red rectangular button on the left with the triangular play sign will be clickable. It should launch the media player and stream the coverage.
League Champs Gamba Osaka vs Emperor's Cup Winner Urawa Reds
The J-league site has set up a website >>here and if you're interested in destop wallpaper, >>here are two offical poster images
For those of you who can understand some Japanese, they will be broadcasting the coverage of the game >>Here via internet radio. At the time of the game, the red rectangular button on the left with the triangular play sign will be clickable. It should launch the media player and stream the coverage.
The JFA announced the players who will be called for the upcoming friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina. The game will take place on February 28, in Dortmund Germany at 13:20 local time.
The significance of this game is that it will be played in the stadium that will host the Japan vs Brazil game, and the team will make a test run of their camp hq in Bonn. Sort of full dress walk-through rehearsal.
The squad list is far from surprising. Most expect that this list below is going to be more or less the WC squad aside from the goalies. Though as you all know, all sorts of things can happen in the next three months... remember last time..
Zico left today for France in order to watch Daisuke Matsui play at Le Mans -- the game this Saturday is against St.Etienne. After that he will fly directly to Germany and meet up with the rest of the team.
Goalkeeper Narazaki is still not in full form from his injury during the last game of the league last year, and was not part of the preview squad list. GKs Doi and Sogahata both were injured during Miyazaki training camp and were replaced just before the USA game by Urawa GK Tsuzuki and Sanfrecce GK Shimoda.
Pre-match news, updates on National team >>Here, and >>Here, as well as game review to follow.
GK
Takashi Shimoda - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi - Jubilo Iwata
Ryota Tsuzuki - Urawa Reds
DF
Makoto Tanaka - Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto - Gamba Osaka
Keisuke Tsuboi - Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa - Yokohama F Marinos
Teruyuki Moniwa - FC Tokyo
Alex Santos - Urawa Reds
Akira Kaji - FC Tokyo
Yuichi Komano - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Koji Nakata - FC Basel
MF
Takashi Fukunishi - Jubilo Iwata
Yasuhito Endo - Gamba Osaka
Mitsuo Ogasawara - Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono - Urawa Reds
Shunsuke Nakamura - Celtic
Hidetoshi Nakata - Bolton
Junichi Inamoto - West Bromwich
Daisuke Matsui - Le Mans
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo - Yokohama F Marinos
Naohiro Takahara - Hamburg SV
Atsushi Yanagisawa - Messina/Kashima Antlers*
Masashi Oguro - Grenoble
* Yanagisawa is expected to repatriate to Japan, to J-league Kashima after this game in Germany.
The significance of this game is that it will be played in the stadium that will host the Japan vs Brazil game, and the team will make a test run of their camp hq in Bonn. Sort of full dress walk-through rehearsal.
The squad list is far from surprising. Most expect that this list below is going to be more or less the WC squad aside from the goalies. Though as you all know, all sorts of things can happen in the next three months... remember last time..
Zico left today for France in order to watch Daisuke Matsui play at Le Mans -- the game this Saturday is against St.Etienne. After that he will fly directly to Germany and meet up with the rest of the team.
Goalkeeper Narazaki is still not in full form from his injury during the last game of the league last year, and was not part of the preview squad list. GKs Doi and Sogahata both were injured during Miyazaki training camp and were replaced just before the USA game by Urawa GK Tsuzuki and Sanfrecce GK Shimoda.
Pre-match news, updates on National team >>Here, and >>Here, as well as game review to follow.
GK
Takashi Shimoda - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi - Jubilo Iwata
Ryota Tsuzuki - Urawa Reds
DF
Makoto Tanaka - Jubilo Iwata
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto - Gamba Osaka
Keisuke Tsuboi - Urawa Reds
Yuji Nakazawa - Yokohama F Marinos
Teruyuki Moniwa - FC Tokyo
Alex Santos - Urawa Reds
Akira Kaji - FC Tokyo
Yuichi Komano - Sanfrecce Hiroshima
Koji Nakata - FC Basel
MF
Takashi Fukunishi - Jubilo Iwata
Yasuhito Endo - Gamba Osaka
Mitsuo Ogasawara - Kashima Antlers
Shinji Ono - Urawa Reds
Shunsuke Nakamura - Celtic
Hidetoshi Nakata - Bolton
Junichi Inamoto - West Bromwich
Daisuke Matsui - Le Mans
FW
Tatsuhiko Kubo - Yokohama F Marinos
Naohiro Takahara - Hamburg SV
Atsushi Yanagisawa - Messina/Kashima Antlers*
Masashi Oguro - Grenoble
* Yanagisawa is expected to repatriate to Japan, to J-league Kashima after this game in Germany.
A hilarious and rather adorable commercial from Adidas's +10 campaign.
Shunsuke+10 versus DelPiero+10
The story is that both players have to put together a national team by finding fellow countrymen off the streets. Shunsuke is in Glasgow, making his task very difficult. He goes to a local Kendo class (Japanese fencing) and is asking "Are any Japanese here?" and the students take off their masks to reveal they are far from Asian. Then he goes to an English language school, and there appears one Japanese person, who mumbles, "I can't play football, but I can play the bagpipe!" So he plays a little... And it turns out the bagpipe player has 10 Japanese friends in the city, who he calls.
DelPiero has a bit of an easier time, asking around the city for places where people are playing. An old man says he is too old to play, but he finds a group playing in a local court. He tries the players out, and picks his team.
The Japanese players are a bit awestruck to find out that not only will they play with Shunsuke, they will be playing against the even more famous DelPiero. One Japanese player grumbles "though the other are gawking at DelPiero, I will be playing for the jugular". The two teams accidentally meet in a resturant, and the Italian team is overheard scoffing at the Japanese team -- "Japanese people can't play football, all they do is play video games." Ouch...
Shunsuke+10 versus DelPiero+10
The story is that both players have to put together a national team by finding fellow countrymen off the streets. Shunsuke is in Glasgow, making his task very difficult. He goes to a local Kendo class (Japanese fencing) and is asking "Are any Japanese here?" and the students take off their masks to reveal they are far from Asian. Then he goes to an English language school, and there appears one Japanese person, who mumbles, "I can't play football, but I can play the bagpipe!" So he plays a little... And it turns out the bagpipe player has 10 Japanese friends in the city, who he calls.
DelPiero has a bit of an easier time, asking around the city for places where people are playing. An old man says he is too old to play, but he finds a group playing in a local court. He tries the players out, and picks his team.
The Japanese players are a bit awestruck to find out that not only will they play with Shunsuke, they will be playing against the even more famous DelPiero. One Japanese player grumbles "though the other are gawking at DelPiero, I will be playing for the jugular". The two teams accidentally meet in a resturant, and the Italian team is overheard scoffing at the Japanese team -- "Japanese people can't play football, all they do is play video games." Ouch...
Hi everyone, sorry for the delayed post. I just got back from a business trip, and still am in the midst of trying to catch up on everything at work. If you have emailed me in the last week and have not received a reply, I apologize, I still haven't been able to get to my email yet. I will get to them this weekend! :)
As you all know by now, we ended with a fairly good result against India in this first game in the Asia Cup 2007 qualifying process. It just occured to me on my way home today that Japan and Saudia Arabia have been the title holders since 1984 -- and both these teams are in the same Group A.
India
We have played India 3 times in the past two years, and each time they are getting better. Ignoring the score for a moment, I think they played a much more focused game on defense, and showed moments of individual technique that we didn't see as much in the first two games. I also enjoyed Japan's away game in Kolkhata back in 2004, the one with the black outs and the unique atmosphere created by the home supporters.
India's manager Syed Nayeemuddin made it very clear in the pre-game press conference that they were motivated to hang on with everything they got, and the football federation even dangled cash bonuses that would be handed out should India draw or win. There were worries regarding the shock of the change in temperatures, which were about 3-5 degrees Celsius when the team practiced in the preceding days -- but luckily the temperature rose to about 11 degrees for the game with clear skies. It was also unfortunate that the team did not have long-sleeved jerseys available -- I was cold just looking at them...
India started with a defensive 4-5-1 (or 5-4-1?) system, and then switched to putting two on top at half time when they were down by one.
Japan
As predicted in my >>match preview, Zico switched system yet again (remember, in the US game we did 3-6-1, then against Finland 3-5-2) to bring back the 4-4-2 formation, with the use of 22 year old Urawa Reds midfielder Makoto Hasebe next to Ogasawara as an offensive half. It was his first start in an international game, not to mention this important must-win competition match.
Of course the 4-4-2 has shown in the recent year that Japan are able to play a more fluid game. But it was the first time that Zico used a 4-4-2 system with an all-domestic roster. It was also probably used to get the team ready for the upcoming match against Bosnia, in which the European players will be called up and we will definitely be seeing a 4-4-2 system there.
Supporters Step Up
As you all know by now, we ended with a fairly good result against India in this first game in the Asia Cup 2007 qualifying process. It just occured to me on my way home today that Japan and Saudia Arabia have been the title holders since 1984 -- and both these teams are in the same Group A.
India
We have played India 3 times in the past two years, and each time they are getting better. Ignoring the score for a moment, I think they played a much more focused game on defense, and showed moments of individual technique that we didn't see as much in the first two games. I also enjoyed Japan's away game in Kolkhata back in 2004, the one with the black outs and the unique atmosphere created by the home supporters.
India's manager Syed Nayeemuddin made it very clear in the pre-game press conference that they were motivated to hang on with everything they got, and the football federation even dangled cash bonuses that would be handed out should India draw or win. There were worries regarding the shock of the change in temperatures, which were about 3-5 degrees Celsius when the team practiced in the preceding days -- but luckily the temperature rose to about 11 degrees for the game with clear skies. It was also unfortunate that the team did not have long-sleeved jerseys available -- I was cold just looking at them...
India started with a defensive 4-5-1 (or 5-4-1?) system, and then switched to putting two on top at half time when they were down by one.
Japan
As predicted in my >>match preview, Zico switched system yet again (remember, in the US game we did 3-6-1, then against Finland 3-5-2) to bring back the 4-4-2 formation, with the use of 22 year old Urawa Reds midfielder Makoto Hasebe next to Ogasawara as an offensive half. It was his first start in an international game, not to mention this important must-win competition match.
Of course the 4-4-2 has shown in the recent year that Japan are able to play a more fluid game. But it was the first time that Zico used a 4-4-2 system with an all-domestic roster. It was also probably used to get the team ready for the upcoming match against Bosnia, in which the European players will be called up and we will definitely be seeing a 4-4-2 system there.
Supporters Step Up
Takayuki Suzuki got his debut at Red Star this week in the game against Vozdovac, substituting in at 69 mins when his team were ahead by one.
Messina's Atsushi Yanagisawa will be temporarily returning to J-league's Kashima Antlers to play in Japan until the summer. This means that now there are 0 Japanese players in Serie A.
Daisuke Matsui was voted Ligue 1 MVP for the month of January. He's gotten to be quite a popular player in France, and his inspiring goals and assists last month for Le Mans seemed to have made a strong enough impression. Zico has scheduled a detour to France before the Bosnia game (in Germany) to watch Matsui play in France.
Koji Nakata made his Swiss debut starting in Basel's game against Schaffhausen. He was used as a midfielder. The team drew 1-1.
Messina's Atsushi Yanagisawa will be temporarily returning to J-league's Kashima Antlers to play in Japan until the summer. This means that now there are 0 Japanese players in Serie A.
Daisuke Matsui was voted Ligue 1 MVP for the month of January. He's gotten to be quite a popular player in France, and his inspiring goals and assists last month for Le Mans seemed to have made a strong enough impression. Zico has scheduled a detour to France before the Bosnia game (in Germany) to watch Matsui play in France.
Koji Nakata made his Swiss debut starting in Basel's game against Schaffhausen. He was used as a midfielder. The team drew 1-1.
Quick update ahead of the game: Sunday, the day after the Finland game, the players who played for a certain length of time were rested while the remainder went through offense-oriented drills with Zico. Monday, the team were split into starters and subs, and practiced confirming position and resonsibilities.
This is what the squad will probably look like for India:
----------- Maki - Kubo
-------- Hasebe - Ogasawara
--------- Ono - Fukunishi
Santos - Miyamoto - Nakazawa - Kaji
------------ Kawaguchi
The suprise being that Makoto Hasebe will line up next to Ogasawara as an offensive half. Obviously, Ono, who played that position for the first time in the USA game, did not quite look right -- I think the consensus is that Ono is better farther back. And in Hasebe's case, his quickness, attack-oriented mentality, his dribbling skills, and his eagerness to claim a playmaker's position might sit better for the team. >>Click to read an old interview of his.
The other thing to watch for is the defensive stability -- especially the communication between Ono/Fukunishi and the defenders, not to mention seeing how Santos looks now that he's had time to rest a little.
The team will start to get picked off here, as a couple members will be taken off to meet the roster number restrictions. And then in the Bosnia game coming up the Euorpean players will be called up. So a final chance to show their stuff for many of those who are getting an opportunity to play (like Hasebe and Maki) and those who are in the substitute group.
This is what the squad will probably look like for India:
----------- Maki - Kubo
-------- Hasebe - Ogasawara
--------- Ono - Fukunishi
Santos - Miyamoto - Nakazawa - Kaji
------------ Kawaguchi
The suprise being that Makoto Hasebe will line up next to Ogasawara as an offensive half. Obviously, Ono, who played that position for the first time in the USA game, did not quite look right -- I think the consensus is that Ono is better farther back. And in Hasebe's case, his quickness, attack-oriented mentality, his dribbling skills, and his eagerness to claim a playmaker's position might sit better for the team. >>Click to read an old interview of his.
The other thing to watch for is the defensive stability -- especially the communication between Ono/Fukunishi and the defenders, not to mention seeing how Santos looks now that he's had time to rest a little.
The team will start to get picked off here, as a couple members will be taken off to meet the roster number restrictions. And then in the Bosnia game coming up the Euorpean players will be called up. So a final chance to show their stuff for many of those who are getting an opportunity to play (like Hasebe and Maki) and those who are in the substitute group.
J's Goal has posted video stream footage of some of the J clubs during their preseason training. I haven't seen all the video, so I cannot say what is in each one. My guess is it's nothing too exciting, just of the players running, etc., but a nice sneak peak for those of you eager to see the familiar faces of your favorite clubs.
I am not sure if they will make video available for all the clubs, since some of them are training abroad. But I will come back to take a quick look at the J1 this year so we can note down some of the notable changes and things to look forward to.
PreSeason Training Video Stream: J League First Division
>> Sanfrecce Hiroshima
>> Shimizu S-Pulse
>> Kashima Antlers
>> Avispa Fukuoka
>> Jubilo Iwata
>> Nagoya Grampus 8
>> Ventforet Kofu
>> Yokohama F Marinos
PreSeason Training Video Stream: J League Second Division
>> Kashiwa Reysol
>> Thespa Kusatsu
>> Vissel Kobe
>> Yokohama FC
>> Consadole Sapporo
>> Vegalta Sendai
>> Shonan Bellmare
>> Tokushima Vortis
I am not sure if they will make video available for all the clubs, since some of them are training abroad. But I will come back to take a quick look at the J1 this year so we can note down some of the notable changes and things to look forward to.
PreSeason Training Video Stream: J League First Division
>> Sanfrecce Hiroshima
>> Shimizu S-Pulse
>> Kashima Antlers
>> Avispa Fukuoka
>> Jubilo Iwata
>> Nagoya Grampus 8
>> Ventforet Kofu
>> Yokohama F Marinos
PreSeason Training Video Stream: J League Second Division
>> Kashiwa Reysol
>> Thespa Kusatsu
>> Vissel Kobe
>> Yokohama FC
>> Consadole Sapporo
>> Vegalta Sendai
>> Shonan Bellmare
>> Tokushima Vortis
It is impossible to fairly compare the game against the USA with this one, as the opponents were of entirely different quality and strategy. The Finnish team was without many of their key players, and their manager Roy Hodgson just took over a month ago so it's a newly put together team. They have had a little more game time in the past month, having already played countries like Korea and the UAE.
>> Photos from the game
Finland started off the game extremely carefully and very defensively. In a way, I had hoped they would play with the kind of pressure that the US had put on us last week to force our players to think faster and play more accurately, but they pretty much allowed us most of the possession especially in the first half when it was clear their target was to get to halftime with a 0-0 score.
Because Finland drew back, defending with their height and numbers, we were pretty much seeing a repeat of many of our past games against lower-ranked teams.
The immediate concerns following the game against the US were: 1) focus, 2) minimizing errors 3) fitness 4) game-mentality and most importantly 3) aggressive defense.
It was a relief that in each case, we had improved and were pretty much back to par.
But I get ahead of myself. First the starting lineup brought a few surprises:
-------- Kubo - Maki
--------- Ogasawara
Murai - Ono - Fukunishi - Kaji
- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
--------- Kawaguchi
Because Finland was much taller than Japan and was playing heavy in their area, the aim was to try and keep the ball low and fast. The focus was there, the players were responding to loose balls faster, and aggressively pressing, and with the exception of Fukunishi who in my mind stood out as having a poor-passing day, everyone seemed to be ok.
In the US game we couldn't see the shape of anything, so it was also important to check whether this relatively new squad (many of the key offensive players have not played with each other) could bring some cohesion of thought to the game. The defense line kept things compact by pushing up, creating a number of plays that were repeated often enough that it indicated these were some of the things the guys had talked over during practice.
A df Nakazawa --> fw Kubo With a compact structure, the defenders were better able to participate on the offense. We saw a lot of Nakazawa lone/dribbling runs up, and in particular during the first half he sent a few very good vertical balls through directly to Kubo for good opportunities.
B Ono --> Kaji Another pattern we saw repeated was that when Ono had the ball and the opponent defense line had wandered up, he would sent a quick low lob over the defense for Kaji on the right to pick up at a run. With a defensive opponent, I suppose the aim was to catch them on the back foot via the sides since the middle was populated. Because Tsuboi had indicated his preference to concentrate on defense, he was not going to be participating much on offense as Nakazawa was doing on the left. This left Kaji to pretty much to take control of the right on his own.
Murai It was very surprising to see Murai chosen to start this game. I had said a couple weeks ago that I was eager to see him play, considering Santos was the only player we've seen on the left for eons, so I was quite happy that at last he would get a proper chance. Most of the intricate overlapping action concentrated on the left, with Murai making some good one touch hand offs from and to those around him, including Nakazawa. It helped us get high up and dig in deep for crosses. He had a number of crosses, not all great quality, but decent. I would have liked to see him take a shot or two or dribble in a little and invite some fouls. He showed he could run, and did not lose the ball.
But as Zico commented after the game, the players were overanxious to score quickly in the first half, and sent in a lot of simple semi-long balls to Kubo. Ogasawara in particular loves to catch defenders on the back foot by turning and quickly sending a quick vertical feeds to his teammates, but it wasn't a particularly effective way to get past this opponent and most of the balls were cleared easily.
At halftime Zico told the players to not rush and keep the ball on the ground. The second half opened up nicely with some stubborn ball-keeping after a number of cross attempts and a shot by Kaji forced Finland to clear out. Ogasawara started to run forward on the right side through the defense just as Kaji threw the ball in, catching the defense a step behind. He chased the ball close to the goalline and sent in a quick ground ball to Kubo at the near, who turned his left foot out and deflected the ball in on the nearside. This was Kubo's first international goal since June 2004 (his 9th).
>>Thanks to Nak for goal video
After the USA game, there were some mutterings about how Zico had so much faith in Kubo that he would be willing to sink with the ship should his favorite forward fail to produce. But he insisted that the most important thing right now was to give players like Ono and Kubo, who have contributed to the national team for many years, as much chance to play and get back to full form. And this goal would certainly silence a few doubters, especially given the problem we have in finishing. In terms of his fitness, he was still a little timid about re-injuries a few weeks ago, but he made some dynamic plays and shots in the game, and at least he seems to be overcoming his fears.
From what I saw of Kubo in this game against Finland, he was helped immensely by Maki, who took on the unglamorous job of chasing balls and throwing himself at everything. Maki was extremely effective, not only playing post, but winning possession in the air, putting pressure on the goalie and the defenders, and coming down to midfield to create one touch sequences for teammates to overlap both in the center and on the side. Though he and Kubo had no direct contact in terms of ballplay, they seemed to be comfortable with each other, making space and supporting the other.
The second half combination plays improved in caliber. The team moved away from their initial test of A and B scenarios, and tried out more multi-player set-ups that gave us an indication that they were getting better at anticipating each others' thoughts. There was more down the center plays, using a few tricky sequences -- Ono and Ogasawara showed some good passes here. The variety created by attempting some stuff down the middle allowed for more effective use of the freed-up sides, and we also won a few fks.
Once In A Life?
It would be ideal to be able to save up all the super-goals for the World Cup, but alas we get them when we get them, and we must be thankful for being able to witness some amazing stuff. The last super goal must be Takahara's long-range volley during the Latvia game. But today's goal from Ogasawara at 57 mins was in crazy country. After Kubo's early goal in the second half, things were stagnating a bit, with the defenders passing back and forth amongst themselves trying to time a vertical pass. I expect the opponents were waiting for that through pass, and the goalie had come out of his area a little in anticipation.
Ogasawara received a pass as he stood several meters behind the halfway line, turned, and then gave a quick lob kick to the ball. At first we all thought it was an error in the kick, but actually he had seen the keeper come out a little and sent in a backwards spinning lob that stretched forward and loped down just in time to beat the goalie backpedaling. Before the game, Zico had told his players that European goalies tended to come out a little, so if they saw an opportunity and felt comfortable with it to give it a try. It caught everyone by surprise, but in fact Ogasawara loves to do this kind of stuff even in the J-League. Zico was on the sidelines applauding like an appreciative papa.
Pic left is Ogasawara getting congratulated by teammates still unable to believe it -- they are distracted trying to get a good look at the replay on the big screen.
>>Thanks to Nak for goal video
>>Here is another way to see this supergoal
72 mins & 75 mins
----- Motoyama - Sato
--------- Ogasawara
Santos - Ono - Fukunishi - Komano
- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
--------- Kawaguchi
The rest of the game didn't see much change, except for one play that gave Komano a way up the right to send in a fast low cross the near where Sato waited. I mentioned previously that these two combined for many of Sanfrecce's goals last season, and people were looking forward to seeing the same chemistry on the NT. The ball was a little shallow and hit a defender, but Sato got it and turned for a fast shot to the narrow opening on the near. However it hit the side of the goalie's body and hit the post before a defender cleared.
There was also a nice through pass sequence from Motoyama to Ogasawara (both Kashima), but it was off sides.
All in all, it was not impressive or completely convincing, and the fact that we couldn't quite bring the ball to an effective shot in many instances was disappointing. I think it is a matter of timing as many of the crosses were got to but smothered at the last minute. But again, it's hard to evaluate playing a team that packs their defense and doesn't put much pressure (though Finland did start to put on the pressure after they gave up a goal).
What was promising was seeing Murai and Maki used, both bringing something new to their positions; and to see an indication that the players were beginning to feel the chemistry more with variation of plays. There still lacked truly high level plays, that perfect through pass or that on-target cross. And Sato's scrappiness in the little time he has had so far does show that he might actually be close to a goal. I'm thinking he may score in the next game if he is used for some length of time. I would also love to see more of Hasebe.
Of course the important game is this upcoming Asia Cup qualifier against India. In that one aspect, it was good that we played a defensive team this weekend.
>> Photos from the game
Finland started off the game extremely carefully and very defensively. In a way, I had hoped they would play with the kind of pressure that the US had put on us last week to force our players to think faster and play more accurately, but they pretty much allowed us most of the possession especially in the first half when it was clear their target was to get to halftime with a 0-0 score.
Because Finland drew back, defending with their height and numbers, we were pretty much seeing a repeat of many of our past games against lower-ranked teams.
The immediate concerns following the game against the US were: 1) focus, 2) minimizing errors 3) fitness 4) game-mentality and most importantly 3) aggressive defense.
It was a relief that in each case, we had improved and were pretty much back to par.
But I get ahead of myself. First the starting lineup brought a few surprises:
-------- Kubo - Maki
--------- Ogasawara
Murai - Ono - Fukunishi - Kaji
- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
--------- Kawaguchi
Because Finland was much taller than Japan and was playing heavy in their area, the aim was to try and keep the ball low and fast. The focus was there, the players were responding to loose balls faster, and aggressively pressing, and with the exception of Fukunishi who in my mind stood out as having a poor-passing day, everyone seemed to be ok.
In the US game we couldn't see the shape of anything, so it was also important to check whether this relatively new squad (many of the key offensive players have not played with each other) could bring some cohesion of thought to the game. The defense line kept things compact by pushing up, creating a number of plays that were repeated often enough that it indicated these were some of the things the guys had talked over during practice.
A df Nakazawa --> fw Kubo With a compact structure, the defenders were better able to participate on the offense. We saw a lot of Nakazawa lone/dribbling runs up, and in particular during the first half he sent a few very good vertical balls through directly to Kubo for good opportunities.
B Ono --> Kaji Another pattern we saw repeated was that when Ono had the ball and the opponent defense line had wandered up, he would sent a quick low lob over the defense for Kaji on the right to pick up at a run. With a defensive opponent, I suppose the aim was to catch them on the back foot via the sides since the middle was populated. Because Tsuboi had indicated his preference to concentrate on defense, he was not going to be participating much on offense as Nakazawa was doing on the left. This left Kaji to pretty much to take control of the right on his own.
Murai It was very surprising to see Murai chosen to start this game. I had said a couple weeks ago that I was eager to see him play, considering Santos was the only player we've seen on the left for eons, so I was quite happy that at last he would get a proper chance. Most of the intricate overlapping action concentrated on the left, with Murai making some good one touch hand offs from and to those around him, including Nakazawa. It helped us get high up and dig in deep for crosses. He had a number of crosses, not all great quality, but decent. I would have liked to see him take a shot or two or dribble in a little and invite some fouls. He showed he could run, and did not lose the ball.
But as Zico commented after the game, the players were overanxious to score quickly in the first half, and sent in a lot of simple semi-long balls to Kubo. Ogasawara in particular loves to catch defenders on the back foot by turning and quickly sending a quick vertical feeds to his teammates, but it wasn't a particularly effective way to get past this opponent and most of the balls were cleared easily.
At halftime Zico told the players to not rush and keep the ball on the ground. The second half opened up nicely with some stubborn ball-keeping after a number of cross attempts and a shot by Kaji forced Finland to clear out. Ogasawara started to run forward on the right side through the defense just as Kaji threw the ball in, catching the defense a step behind. He chased the ball close to the goalline and sent in a quick ground ball to Kubo at the near, who turned his left foot out and deflected the ball in on the nearside. This was Kubo's first international goal since June 2004 (his 9th).
>>Thanks to Nak for goal video
After the USA game, there were some mutterings about how Zico had so much faith in Kubo that he would be willing to sink with the ship should his favorite forward fail to produce. But he insisted that the most important thing right now was to give players like Ono and Kubo, who have contributed to the national team for many years, as much chance to play and get back to full form. And this goal would certainly silence a few doubters, especially given the problem we have in finishing. In terms of his fitness, he was still a little timid about re-injuries a few weeks ago, but he made some dynamic plays and shots in the game, and at least he seems to be overcoming his fears.
From what I saw of Kubo in this game against Finland, he was helped immensely by Maki, who took on the unglamorous job of chasing balls and throwing himself at everything. Maki was extremely effective, not only playing post, but winning possession in the air, putting pressure on the goalie and the defenders, and coming down to midfield to create one touch sequences for teammates to overlap both in the center and on the side. Though he and Kubo had no direct contact in terms of ballplay, they seemed to be comfortable with each other, making space and supporting the other.
The second half combination plays improved in caliber. The team moved away from their initial test of A and B scenarios, and tried out more multi-player set-ups that gave us an indication that they were getting better at anticipating each others' thoughts. There was more down the center plays, using a few tricky sequences -- Ono and Ogasawara showed some good passes here. The variety created by attempting some stuff down the middle allowed for more effective use of the freed-up sides, and we also won a few fks.
Once In A Life?
It would be ideal to be able to save up all the super-goals for the World Cup, but alas we get them when we get them, and we must be thankful for being able to witness some amazing stuff. The last super goal must be Takahara's long-range volley during the Latvia game. But today's goal from Ogasawara at 57 mins was in crazy country. After Kubo's early goal in the second half, things were stagnating a bit, with the defenders passing back and forth amongst themselves trying to time a vertical pass. I expect the opponents were waiting for that through pass, and the goalie had come out of his area a little in anticipation.
Ogasawara received a pass as he stood several meters behind the halfway line, turned, and then gave a quick lob kick to the ball. At first we all thought it was an error in the kick, but actually he had seen the keeper come out a little and sent in a backwards spinning lob that stretched forward and loped down just in time to beat the goalie backpedaling. Before the game, Zico had told his players that European goalies tended to come out a little, so if they saw an opportunity and felt comfortable with it to give it a try. It caught everyone by surprise, but in fact Ogasawara loves to do this kind of stuff even in the J-League. Zico was on the sidelines applauding like an appreciative papa.
Pic left is Ogasawara getting congratulated by teammates still unable to believe it -- they are distracted trying to get a good look at the replay on the big screen. >>Thanks to Nak for goal video
>>Here is another way to see this supergoal
72 mins & 75 mins
----- Motoyama - Sato
--------- Ogasawara
Santos - Ono - Fukunishi - Komano
- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tsuboi
--------- Kawaguchi
The rest of the game didn't see much change, except for one play that gave Komano a way up the right to send in a fast low cross the near where Sato waited. I mentioned previously that these two combined for many of Sanfrecce's goals last season, and people were looking forward to seeing the same chemistry on the NT. The ball was a little shallow and hit a defender, but Sato got it and turned for a fast shot to the narrow opening on the near. However it hit the side of the goalie's body and hit the post before a defender cleared.
There was also a nice through pass sequence from Motoyama to Ogasawara (both Kashima), but it was off sides.
All in all, it was not impressive or completely convincing, and the fact that we couldn't quite bring the ball to an effective shot in many instances was disappointing. I think it is a matter of timing as many of the crosses were got to but smothered at the last minute. But again, it's hard to evaluate playing a team that packs their defense and doesn't put much pressure (though Finland did start to put on the pressure after they gave up a goal).
What was promising was seeing Murai and Maki used, both bringing something new to their positions; and to see an indication that the players were beginning to feel the chemistry more with variation of plays. There still lacked truly high level plays, that perfect through pass or that on-target cross. And Sato's scrappiness in the little time he has had so far does show that he might actually be close to a goal. I'm thinking he may score in the next game if he is used for some length of time. I would also love to see more of Hasebe.
Of course the important game is this upcoming Asia Cup qualifier against India. In that one aspect, it was good that we played a defensive team this weekend.
Hi everyone, thanks for the many messages of condolence. It was very kind of you to take the time to send me comments and emails. It is a momentum-gathering month for Japanese football fans, and I would like to dive right in now and try to catch up as best I can in the following two weeks during the remainder of the NT games and before the J-league begins.
Brief wrap up of USA 3-2 Japan
One of the main themes, if you will, of the USA game was the return of Tatsuhiko Kubo to the national team after a very long injury/recovery period. The aim was to create stability in midfield by adding to the numbers there and have more players able to contribute to defense. And then put Kubo on top to take advantage of his finishing capability while the game was created by Ogasawara and Ono.
----------- Kubo
------- Ono - Ogasawara
Santos - Endo - Fukunishi - Kaji
-- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
----------- Kawaguchi
But OUCH, the team was far from ready. After a week of their hardest training of the year, a flight over the Pacific, and being their first game of the year after over a month for most, many months for Ono, and over a year for Kubo, it was bound to be less than pretty. And Ono was playing in that position for the first time.
And though there was novelty in playing a football game in a baseball stadium (click pic to enlarge). SBC Park being the home of the San Fran Giants, and one of the prettiest backdrops in the MLB I think. I didn't think it was appropriate to host the game there, an international friendly between two top 20 teams in a World Cup year. Not only were the extra space dimensions wonky, but the lights were wrong (especially considering the goalies' vision), and they had slapped on some turf on the dirt area diamond. If you saw the game and wondered why the players were all slipping around so much, that was the reason -- you cannot play high quality football on a hard silty clay based ground like that.
That being said, the environmental factors are besides the point because the team itself was clearly still a month and several games behind the USA in terms of game-readiness both mentally and physically. What made things even more difficult was the hard pressure they got from the opponent, making it impossible for them in their condition to properly hold onto the ball. What was truly pathetic was that Japan got in only 1 shot in the first half to USA's 12.
Though it was a laughable disaster, and extremely painful to watch, the complete annihilation in the first half paved the way for some early player changes:
45 mins: 3-5-2
----------- Maki - Sato
--------- Ogasawara
Santos - Ono - Fukunishi - Kaji
-- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
----------- Kawaguchi
55 mins: 4-4-2
----------- Maki - Sato
------- Ogasawara - Ono
-------- Hasebe - Abe
Santos - Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Kaji
----------- Kawaguchi
Mixing It Up Young
It was in the 60th minute that Kaji caught up to the ball sent up by Ono, and he sent in a rather pretty fast cross from the right to where Sato and Maki were anticipating in the box. Sato pulled his mark to the near creating space in front of goal, and Maki got to the cross with his head while a defender rode piggy-back. It was Maki's first international goal.
The addition of energy was not only noticeable in front, but also with the addition of Makoto Hasebe. Yuki Abe kept a relatively low profile by keeping the defense stable, but Hasebe had the go ahead to add some much needed zest to the attack. For his international debut, it was a levelheaded and convincing performance though his competition is tough -- but I think he could bring something to the mix that none of the other players have. Would need to see more of him in play.
It could not have been easy to be dumped into the game like that suddenly, after the starting group had imploded (at the time of the substitutions, the score was 0-3), and changing the system twice in a short period of time. But they kept their heads and I think made good movement and play choices.
One thing that Zico Japan seems to have carried into the year 2006 was the signature last-minute goal. This time, a corner kick from Ogasawara to the near where Nakazawa had to tango with two defenders before stretching his leg out and catching the fast-paced cross. The ball miraculously went into the 30 cm space between the post and the defender who was guarding the post at the goalline.
After the game, the players from Urawa Reds flew to Australia to join their club for a few days of preseason training. Jef Chiba players got a swoosh of the whip all the way from Turkey where the club is training -- Osim sent his players a workout menu telling them not to rest. Marinos manager Okada was of the opposite philosophy, saying that his players need to delineate between Work and Rest, and gave his guys the four days off despite the fact that the players in question were expecting to join the team training. I guess Okada saw how fatigued they looked during the game and decided it was better they rest while they could to avoid further injuries.
The National Team regroup is set for two days before the game against Finland.
Brief wrap up of USA 3-2 Japan
One of the main themes, if you will, of the USA game was the return of Tatsuhiko Kubo to the national team after a very long injury/recovery period. The aim was to create stability in midfield by adding to the numbers there and have more players able to contribute to defense. And then put Kubo on top to take advantage of his finishing capability while the game was created by Ogasawara and Ono.
----------- Kubo
------- Ono - Ogasawara
Santos - Endo - Fukunishi - Kaji
-- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
----------- Kawaguchi
But OUCH, the team was far from ready. After a week of their hardest training of the year, a flight over the Pacific, and being their first game of the year after over a month for most, many months for Ono, and over a year for Kubo, it was bound to be less than pretty. And Ono was playing in that position for the first time.
And though there was novelty in playing a football game in a baseball stadium (click pic to enlarge). SBC Park being the home of the San Fran Giants, and one of the prettiest backdrops in the MLB I think. I didn't think it was appropriate to host the game there, an international friendly between two top 20 teams in a World Cup year. Not only were the extra space dimensions wonky, but the lights were wrong (especially considering the goalies' vision), and they had slapped on some turf on the dirt area diamond. If you saw the game and wondered why the players were all slipping around so much, that was the reason -- you cannot play high quality football on a hard silty clay based ground like that.That being said, the environmental factors are besides the point because the team itself was clearly still a month and several games behind the USA in terms of game-readiness both mentally and physically. What made things even more difficult was the hard pressure they got from the opponent, making it impossible for them in their condition to properly hold onto the ball. What was truly pathetic was that Japan got in only 1 shot in the first half to USA's 12.
Though it was a laughable disaster, and extremely painful to watch, the complete annihilation in the first half paved the way for some early player changes:
45 mins: 3-5-2
----------- Maki - Sato
--------- Ogasawara
Santos - Ono - Fukunishi - Kaji
-- Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Tanaka
----------- Kawaguchi
55 mins: 4-4-2
----------- Maki - Sato
------- Ogasawara - Ono
-------- Hasebe - Abe
Santos - Nakazawa - Miyamoto - Kaji
----------- Kawaguchi
Mixing It Up Young
It was in the 60th minute that Kaji caught up to the ball sent up by Ono, and he sent in a rather pretty fast cross from the right to where Sato and Maki were anticipating in the box. Sato pulled his mark to the near creating space in front of goal, and Maki got to the cross with his head while a defender rode piggy-back. It was Maki's first international goal.
The addition of energy was not only noticeable in front, but also with the addition of Makoto Hasebe. Yuki Abe kept a relatively low profile by keeping the defense stable, but Hasebe had the go ahead to add some much needed zest to the attack. For his international debut, it was a levelheaded and convincing performance though his competition is tough -- but I think he could bring something to the mix that none of the other players have. Would need to see more of him in play.
It could not have been easy to be dumped into the game like that suddenly, after the starting group had imploded (at the time of the substitutions, the score was 0-3), and changing the system twice in a short period of time. But they kept their heads and I think made good movement and play choices.
One thing that Zico Japan seems to have carried into the year 2006 was the signature last-minute goal. This time, a corner kick from Ogasawara to the near where Nakazawa had to tango with two defenders before stretching his leg out and catching the fast-paced cross. The ball miraculously went into the 30 cm space between the post and the defender who was guarding the post at the goalline.
After the game, the players from Urawa Reds flew to Australia to join their club for a few days of preseason training. Jef Chiba players got a swoosh of the whip all the way from Turkey where the club is training -- Osim sent his players a workout menu telling them not to rest. Marinos manager Okada was of the opposite philosophy, saying that his players need to delineate between Work and Rest, and gave his guys the four days off despite the fact that the players in question were expecting to join the team training. I guess Okada saw how fatigued they looked during the game and decided it was better they rest while they could to avoid further injuries.
The National Team regroup is set for two days before the game against Finland.
Hi Everyone,
I am extremely sorry for not posting these past couple weeks. I lost my best friend in an accident, and was out of the country to be by her side and attend to the inevitable aftermath of such a tragedy. I am still grieving, and though I just got back to Japan, it may take me a little while longer to recover emotionally. Please bear with me as I work my way back to my "normal" life again.
I do thank those of you who kept the chatter going in my absence with your comments. It was comforting to come back to the blog and see that you have been keeping things going-- thanks to all of you!
I did see the USA vs Japan game on video, and it was pretty much what I had anticipated. After a full week of intense physical training that was designed to push the players to the extremes of their fitness during the J1 break period, this first game against a top team like the US was going to be difficult, if not quite a mess.
The game itself was about 60 minutes of complete annihilation as the players had trouble focusing and made hundreds of errors in passing followed by a second half flurry of player changes and the chance for some of the newer members to play.
I will combine my brief thoughts about what was positive and negative about this game in my next entry ahead of the game against Finland this Saturday, but first I have a lovely treat from one of my good friends, Tony T.
Tony and I got to know each other through this blog last year. He has been a great friend of the blog, and I just want to thank him right now for sending me cheerful and engaging email throughout all these months. Thanks, Tony!
Living on the West Coast, Tony was able to fly to San Fran for this game between Japan and the USA, and has kindly contributed an entry for me to introduce here. He was also able to take some photos. It's always more fun to hear different voices on the blog (you must all get sick of mine all the time!), and I love being able to share these types of contributions from other Japan/J-league football fans.
I am extremely sorry for not posting these past couple weeks. I lost my best friend in an accident, and was out of the country to be by her side and attend to the inevitable aftermath of such a tragedy. I am still grieving, and though I just got back to Japan, it may take me a little while longer to recover emotionally. Please bear with me as I work my way back to my "normal" life again.
I do thank those of you who kept the chatter going in my absence with your comments. It was comforting to come back to the blog and see that you have been keeping things going-- thanks to all of you!
I did see the USA vs Japan game on video, and it was pretty much what I had anticipated. After a full week of intense physical training that was designed to push the players to the extremes of their fitness during the J1 break period, this first game against a top team like the US was going to be difficult, if not quite a mess.
The game itself was about 60 minutes of complete annihilation as the players had trouble focusing and made hundreds of errors in passing followed by a second half flurry of player changes and the chance for some of the newer members to play.
I will combine my brief thoughts about what was positive and negative about this game in my next entry ahead of the game against Finland this Saturday, but first I have a lovely treat from one of my good friends, Tony T.
Tony and I got to know each other through this blog last year. He has been a great friend of the blog, and I just want to thank him right now for sending me cheerful and engaging email throughout all these months. Thanks, Tony!
Living on the West Coast, Tony was able to fly to San Fran for this game between Japan and the USA, and has kindly contributed an entry for me to introduce here. He was also able to take some photos. It's always more fun to hear different voices on the blog (you must all get sick of mine all the time!), and I love being able to share these types of contributions from other Japan/J-league football fans.
Japan vs. U.S.
by Tony T
I was already losing interest in American football, but after witnessing the fiasco that was Superbowl XL, I can say with all confidence and sincerity that soccer (or commonly known as 'football') is and will always be my sport of choice to watch and play. Hailing from Seattle, I don't take in much soccer as it isn't very popular here. You hear more about angry soccer moms than you do about the World Cup draw. About three years ago on a visit to Japan, I somehow became a diehard Japanese football fan. (Since it's very challenging to follow the J. League from here, my interests have lied almost entirely with the National Team.) I haven't relented since.
And so as if by fate or a beckoning, my attention was directed back towards soccer once again merely a day after the Superbowl in anticipation of both the release of Winning Eleven 9 here in the States and my trip to San Francisco to attend my first ever National Team game just this past week. WE9 didn't disappoint, but the Friendly against the U.S. team told a different story altogether.
I travelled to San Francisco with a couple of friends and NT fans. On the night of the game, we took our time with our Thai food thinking that the game wouldn't generate much interest in the Bay Area. Upon our arrival at SBC park, we discovered we were sorely mistaken. There appeared to be just three entrances at the ballpark and all were densely crowded with spectators trying to filter through a handful of narrow turnstiles.
We saw parents and their children. We saw U.S. fans wearing red, but they looked suspiciously like the 49ers football fans. We saw Brazilian fans with their yellow and green--a few of them wore headbands bearing Kanji. (I'm sure Zico had some influence in their allegiance.) And to our delight we saw a healthy turnout of Japanese fans there as well. Basically, anyone who was not rooting for the U.S. was cheering on Japan. There was no grey area. Unfortunately where we sat, Nippon fans were few and the frigid winds of the Bay kept us feeling frozen throughout game. One factoid--the attendance was the highest ever for a U.S. soccer game in San Francisco at 37,365 spectators.
It was clearly evident that the U.S. team and their fans did not respect the Japan side and us fans. You saw it in the walkways and the bleachers. You saw it on the pitch and on the bench. And you couldn't avoid hearing it from the spectators and the players. Overall, the hosts showed no class on the pitch or in the bleachers. Pretty sad considering it was just a Friendly match. Then again, I didn't expect much from them anyway.
The Nippon fans were scattered, but two areas in particular provided most of the chants and drum beats. The signature chant performed at all home NT games was poorly imitated by the obnoxious U.S. fans about halfway through the game. Sadly, that made our most vocal fans very quiet for the rest of the match. The poor play of the team didn't help either. However, when Japan did score the two goals in the 2nd half we got a healthy applause from the fans in blue, yellow, and green throughout the stadium. It felt good to finally silence the U.S. fans.The first half can be summed up in one word--disarray. The starting line-up was as follows: G-Kawaguchi; DF-Tanaka, Miyamoto, Nakazawa; MF-Fukunishi, Endo, Kaji, Santos, Ono, Ogasawara; FW-Kubo. It was obviously an experiment starting off with a 3-6-1 formation, something I've never seen in my limited experience of Nippon football. The only time in the first half worth cheering for was literally just the first 7 minutes of the game. Beyond that, there was no possession. Passes were not sustained beyond two touches. Positioning was horrible. Offside calls were common. Kubo was left stranded on what little attack there was. The team lacked a clear, aggressive, and effective leader. I can't say Kubo did horribly. I fault the MFs play this time. Endo and Santos didn't play well. Ono and Fukunishi were non-factors. Ogasawara and Kaji were the only players with any composure and determination to attack. The DFs didn't stand up strong enough against the U.S. attacks. They seemed to be playing on their heels, expecting the DMFs to perhaps give some support.
Kawaguchi looked too cold to be aggressive and react quickly to the ball as he usually does. He seemed to lack concentration, almost preoccupied. From where I was sitting, he didn't appear as vocal as he usually is either. The team lacked hunger for the net in the first 60 minutes and they lacked leadership. Above all, they lacked teamwork.
Those issues continue to be Japan's biggest problems--leadership and finishing. Leadership doesn't have to be vocal. It can most
certainly be expressed through action as was the case in the good
plays demonstrated after the 60th minute. I'm sure a familiar
formation helped, but Japan suddenly played a different game around the 65th minute. Kaji stepped it up, perhaps in response to Komano's challenge for the same position in recent games. Sato played with zest and scrappiness that is reminiscent of Oguro's play. In my opinion, Hasebe's 55th minute substitution locked down the defense much better. The entry of Abe, Motoyama, and Maki didn't make a huge impact, but they definitely didn't disrupt the revitalization of the team's play in the 2nd half.
Every team in the world is a work in progress. Any Cup qualified team would be naive and arrogant to think they're ready to take on the tournament. I'm not worried about Japan. I think Zico will do a decent enough job in preparing for the World Cup and Asian Cup this year. It will also depend on the players' response and desire of course. I'm glad this game carried on the way it did this early in the year. It will provide many valuable lessons. This game will also expose the weaknesses and the weak players. I only hope Zico and his staff will be able to identify and remedy them in time for the Cups.
This was the first time I ever attended a sports event rooting for the visiting team. Any "visitor" can expect haggling from the home side fans. That's expected. However, with the humility of non-Americans and the typical arrogance the world comes to expect of Americans, the atmosphere of the "friendly" match seemed otherwise. Of course not all U.S. fans were obnoxious, but all it takes is about half of them to make it seem that way. Even parents got in on the boasting. It didn't faze any of us Nippon fans though. We all continued to wear and wave our Samurai Blue even long after the game as the Americans taunted all the way to their cars. In one particular instance after the game, a group of Japanese fans were trying to take a picture in front of the Willie Mays sculpture while holding the Japanese flag.
One very large caucasian male laboriously climbed up next to them waving a U.S. flag and kept on leaning into their picture while draping and wrapping his flag around a Japanese guy in the group. The Japanese group tried about six shots of that pose before giving up. The group looked a little flustered but went about their way. I witnessed the whole thing and I was very annoyed to say the least. It was just so typical. I don't know which would bring me more joy--seeing the U.S. team get humiliated in their group or seeing Japan win the World Cup.
I wish Japan could play them again later this year as I'm more than confident they could beat the U.S. Japan may not possess the size, but at their best, Japan is better organized and more skillful than the U.S. side. Japan played poor because they lacked overall chemistry, not because the U.S. team played better. The U.S. coach Bruce Arena reminds me of the burly karate coach in Karate Kid. His cockiness is in sync with his players' as it is more than evident in their interviews and play on the pitch. With too many examples to recall on paper, Donovan, Pope, Dempsey, and Twellman showed to care more about entertaining and showboating than playing a soccer game with their teammates, with some of those occasions making them look quite stupid with an errant pass or by simply tripping without any defensive pressure. I took those opportunities to heckle right back. That was fun. Sure, several of them can play a decent game, but in the end, only the best t-e-a-m is victorious.
The day after the game my friend bumped into Tsuboi while shopping in the Diesel store in downtown San Francisco. Unfortunately, I was elsewhere. They had a brief but memorable conversation. No autographs. Just good wishes and nothing but r e s p e c t exchanged between them.
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