A View From A Brit by Jeremy Walker

9 Feb 2010(Tue)

February 8, 2010: Takeshi Okada wanted some tough matches in the build-up to the World Cup, and the East Asian Championship has already given him one in the 0-0 draw with China.

Unlike a meaningless friendly against a European glamour team playing at half-strength and half-pace, this was a proper match in an official tournament and brought with it the pressure and conditions the players needed.

Japan could not win it, and very nearly lost it but for the late penalty save by Seigo Narazaki, whose importance to the team at the World Cup in South Africa cannot be overstated.

Even though Japan could not be faulted for effort or for commitment in a frequently furious encounter with a determined China team, their inability to score and win produced boos and jeers from the Ajinomoto Stadium crowd.

Good on the fans, I say, as this can only help toughen up the players in the run-up to the World Cup. We all know the players get spoiled in the J.League by their tolerant, forgiving supporters, and that national team games attract a fair percentage of “fashionistas” who love to wear the blue and cheer for their own personal favourite to the bitter end.

So the reaction at Ajinomoto Stadium will serve Okada well, as he will be able to observe the players in a more hostile environment. Some players will rise to the challenge and others may buckle under the pressure and expectation, helping the coach in his selection of the final 23 players for the World Cup.

The next match, against Hong Kong on Thursday, should not provide much of a test, unfortunately, as the gap between Korea and Hong Kong on Sunday night was vast. But still, Japan will need to score early to settle nerves and build up some momentum, just like Korea did, so this will bring its own kind of pressure, too.

When chances come along, Japan will have to relax and take them clinically, rather than snatching at them in a panic and adding to the tension at the next opportunity.

They will need to get the fans on their side, and need to gain confidence as well as the three points before the crunch match with Korea on Sunday.

So this is turning into a very worthwhile tournament for Okada – more than he could have imagined or perhaps even wanted.

ends

2 Feb 2010(Tue)

February 1, 2010: Several of the countries bidding to stage the 2018 or 2022 World Cup could hold the event at the drop of a hat.

One of them, of course, is Japan, as the stadiums, infrastructure and fan base are all in place to guarantee a smooth and successful tournament.

However, this doesn’t mean I think it’s a good idea for Japan to be bidding again, so soon after co-hosting the 2002 World Cup with Korea (ditto Korea, who are bidding only for 2022 this time).

So while Japan’s bid is sound, and has the high-profile backing of, among others, former national team coaches Philippe Troussier, Zico and Ivica Osim, I think their chances of victory are slim at best – much less than Tokyo’s chances were of being awarded the 2016 Olympic Games.

First, the 2018 World Cup is surely going to Europe, as football’s richest continent will not have staged it since Germany 2006. FIFA President Sepp Blatter said as much recently, so it really looks like a lost cause for the other continents. While England, the 1966 host, is regarded as the favourite to win 2018, Russia has emerged as a dark horse and must not be ruled out from pulling off a major surprise when FIFA votes in December.

Japan’s best chance, then, would be 2022, but again I think there are countries more deserving of Japan; countries who have not held it before and who would open a new market, a new frontier, for FIFA.

Specifically I am thinking of Australia, and I would like to see the Aussies awarded 2022. This is a great sporting nation, and they would stage a fantastic World Cup. Critics talk of a lack of football tradition in Australia (or maybe “soccer” is the more appropriate word on this occasion) compared to rugby league, rugby union, Aussie Rules football and cricket, but the sports-loving locals in the big cities would really embrace the tournament and turn it into one long festival.

Having attended the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, and travelled around to watch Japan in Canberra and Brisbane, the atmosphere was incredible, and I am sure this would be replicated for the World Cup but on a much grander scale – involving thousands and thousands of visitors from overseas.

I think Japan has a no-risk bid, but honestly I don’t know why they are having another go so soon after 2002, and why they think they can win.

If they are awarded the 2018 or even the 2022 World Cup, it will be a bigger surprise than if Takeshi Okada’s boys do actually reach the semi-finals in South Africa.

ends

26 Jan 2010(Tue)

January 25, 2010: Nagoya Grampus fans must be feeling pretty much the same way as Manchester City supporters at the moment: plenty of money flying about, star names coming in and talk of titles.

The big question for Nagoya is: can they rise to the top in the first season of their ambitious big-spending policy?

This is certainly the goal of manager Dragan Stojkovic and his employers; no talk of a top-three finish here to guarantee a place in the Asian Champions League for 2011 – only No. 1 is on the agenda.

Two of the new signings were unveiled on Sunday: Tulio from Urawa Reds and Mu Kanazaki from Oita Trinita. According to Stojkovic, Tulio had not been enjoying his football in recent seasons and the manager's goal was to put a smile back on his face at training and in his relationship with the supporters.

The manager will also be hoping the player's niggling injuries clear up, and Nagoya's failure to qualify for this year's ACL, after losing in the Emperor's Cup final on New Year's Day, may be a blessing in disguise for Tulio in a hectic World Cup year.

Personally, I was a bit disappointed when Tulio moved to Grampus, after all the transfer talk had focused on Europe – and in particular Wigan Athletic and FC Twente. I thought his ambition was to play in a good league in Europe and really test himself at a higher level, but obviously Pixie is a very charismatic and persuasive figure, and the salary on offer in Japan (thought to be 150 million yen per year) would have been hard to match for either of those two clubs.

Kanazaki is a great signing. He is my dark horse to make Takeshi Okada's World Cup squad because his speed, flair and unpredictability can add a new dimension to Japan's attack, especially off the bench in the last 20 minutes of a tight game.

Antlers, Reds and just about everybody else wanted to sign Kanazaki at the end of the season, but he had given his word to Nagoya and stuck to it.

Exciting times for Grampus fans, but a massive season ahead for Pixie as he must make an immediate impact with his expensive new team. Just ask Mark Hughes!

ends

19 Jan 2010(Tue)

January 18, 2010: You can't blame Junichi Inamoto for coming home at the start of World Cup year and joining Kawasaki Frontale.

The former Gamba idol has been slogging away round Europe for several seasons now, and his move to France proved to be a bridge too far. Unable to make much impression with Stade Rennais in a very difficult environment, he finally decided enough was enough and headed back to the J.League.

It's good timing for Inamoto, as it will put him firmly in the spotlight in the build-up to South Africa, gaining match fitness week by week.

National coach Takeshi Okada will be pleased, too, as he knows “Ina” will be playing regularly rather than lost on the bench in Rennes. Although Okada has shown a clear preference for the Hasebe-Endo tandem in the midfield engine room, it does not mean Inamoto has no chance of breaking into the starting line-up, as his ball-winning ability, physical presence and experience can give Japan another dimension.

It's also going to be interesting to see how Frontale coach Takahata manages his players in the opening weeks of the new season, now that Inamoto has been added to the mix.

Last season, Sekizuka favoured Taniguchi and Yokoyama in the centre of midfield, with Kengo taking up more of a wide berth.

In many aspects Taniguchi and Inamoto are quite similar players. They both like playing box to box and making runs from deep, although Inamoto cannot match the extraordinary aerial ability of Taniguchi.

Yokoyama was a Sekizuka favourite, but it is difficult to see how he can get in the team this time with Taniguchi and Inamoto an obvious and irresistible combination.

I actually preferred the way Frontale played two seasons ago under Takahata, with virtually a 4-2-4 formation held together by the Kengo-Taniguchi partnership.

Maybe this is what Takahata will try again, with Kengo playing further forward behind the front three and Inamoto coming in alongside Taniguchi.

Like Nagoya Grampus, Frontale have a big squad, and it may take time for the respective managers to find the right blend. Inamoto's days on the bench, however, appear to be over – and the J.League in general will benefit from the return of this popular character.

ends

12 Jan 2010(Tue)

January 11, 2010: As Keisuke Honda leaves VVV-Venlo for CSKA Moscow, another former Grampus man, Maya Yoshida, arrives in Holland to maintain Venlo’s Japanese connection.

So how will the young central defender fare in the Dutch league? After all, not many Japanese defenders have moved overseas, as foreign clubs are usually attracted by the creativity and technical skills of Japan’s top players rather than by their defending.

No one is in a better position to judge Yoshida than his former central defensive partner at Nagoya, Milos Bajalica. Both players played their final game for Nagoya on New Year’s Day – the Emperor’s Cup final – as Bajalica was not retained and was heading home to Serbia.

Basically, Bajalica thinks Yoshida has everything it takes to succeed in Europe – but feels he must toughen up and must cut down on his individual mistakes.

“I think he will do well because the league over there is not too difficult, similar to Japan,” the Serb said.

“He is very calm for such a young player, only 21, and he has gained confidence. He jumps well and he has started reading the game well.”

Bajalica, however, is not the first to point out that the polite Japanese way – for example apologising to opponents after a foul, and helping them off the floor – may stand against them in Europe, where the environment is much more competitive, even in training as players fight to get into the starting line-up.

“He should forget about the goodness and the gentleness of Japan and be careful not to make any big mistakes because in Europe as soon as you make a big mistake generally you are out of the team. It is something to be careful about.”

This is something I have certainly noticed in Yoshida’s game, especially his annoying habit of using his chest to divert a high ball to a teammate, rather than simply bringing it under control. This is very casual and risky play, the kind of thing that will be discouraged quickly in Holland.

I asked Bajalica if he felt the same, and he replied: “He is young – it is the Japanese style!”

Just as Honda has moved on to bigger things in Russia, so, too, could Yoshida if he settles in at Venlo, starting at home to Feyenoord on January 24.

“It may become a stepping stone because he is so young and has improved a lot since I came here and raised his game level -- especially if there is another player in the team who can guide him, lead him and maybe calm him down from time to time,” concluded Bajalica.

ends

4 Jan 2010(Mon)

January 2, 2010: As much as I admire and respect Dragan Stojkovic, I cannot agree with his assessment of the “Tamada Incident” on New Year's Day.

Basically, Pixie thought Grampus should have been awarded a penalty in the 74th minute when Keiji Tamada went down in the Gamba box. It was 1-1 at the time, and the final scoreline of “Gamba 4 Grampus 1” could have been very different if a penalty had been given, the Grampus manager said in his post-match press conference.

Sorry Pixie, but I thought the ref, Kenji Ogiya, got it absolutely right in showing Tamada a yellow card for diving. After a patient build-up on the right flank, Tamada surged into the Gamba box. He was in the perfect position to let fly with his right foot, but instead of trying to score a goal he threw himself down in the hope of winning a penalty.

Had the ball been on Tamada's infinitely stronger left foot, then surely he would have shot, but it was on his other foot so he declined the opportunity. It was a clear yellow card for diving/simulation, and I applauded the referee for his strong response. After all, it was New Year's Day, not April Fool's Day.

Pixie, however, saw it differently. “It was a very clear penalty kick but he got a yellow card for simulation,” he told the media.

“I am not sure it was simulation. I have just spoken with Tamada in the dressing room and he said he was touched by the defender of Gamba. From what I saw on the bench, Gamba was very lucky.”

In situations like this, I'd like to see the manager ask his own player why he dived rather than tried to score a goal, and if necessary admonish him. This does not have to be in public, but in private behind closed doors once the emotion has died down a day or two after the game.

Pixie was right in saying that the final result could have been very different – but not if the referee had awarded a penalty; if Tamada had scored from this clear shooting opportunity.

Let's take nothing away from Gamba. It was a fantastic display to win the Emperor's Cup, and you wonder where the motivation and concentration comes from when they had already clinched their place in the Asian Champions League.

ends

31 Dec 2009(Thu)

December 30, 2009: It wasn't just the dazzling yellow boots of Michihiro Yasuda that sparkled in the winter sunshine at National Stadium on Tuesday.

His performance was bright and breezy, too, as he helped Gamba Osaka beat Vegalta Sendai 2-1 in the Emperor's Cup semi-finals.

Yasuda, who turned 22 as recently as December 20, made his name as a swashbuckling left back for Gamba and in Japan's Olympic team, but he looked very much at home on the right side in place of the suspended Akira Kaji.

With the steady and resourceful Hideo Hashimoto in front of him in midfield, the pair had the right side stitched up all afternoon and helped keep Sendai at a safe distance.

Going forward, Yasuda made the cross that led to an early goal from Lucas, following a weak punch by keeper Takuto Hayashi, and at the back he defended well, especially in his own penalty box. One moment really caught the eye, when in the 36th minute, he made a wonderful interception to deny Sendai striker Yuki Nakashima. The Sendai fans behind the goal appealed for a foul and a penalty, but it was a perfect challenge from Yasuda, who made clean contact to divert the ball for a corner.

Later, deep in the second half, he was under pressure from the Sendai attack down the left wing, but he showed maturity and discipline to stay on his feet and watch the ball, rather than lunging in and conceding a free kick or taking himself out of the game with a reckless tackle.

Yasuda looked focused and business-like throughout, so it was no surprise to learn after the game that he had recently decided to stay with Gamba and had a very clear mind about his future.

After all, it must have been frustrating for him in recent months, as he now appears to be third-choice left back – behind the converted centre half, Kazumichi Takagi, and Takumi Shimohira – and second-choice right back after Kaji. Presumably he could have moved on quite easily, but has committed himself to Gamba.

It was a wonderful day all round for football on Tuesday. The weather was perfect (officially 9.3 degrees C) as the match kicked off in bright winter sunshine at 3pm, and ended under the glow of the floodlights and a near full moon looking down on the famous old stadium.

I always think it is a great shame that the Japanese season is just ending in such ideal conditions, when the players and fans have had to slog through the hot and humid summer months of July and August – which is not football weather at all.

ends

28 Dec 2009(Mon)

December 25, 2009: The announcement that Japan were planning to play 11 matches in the build-up to the 2010 World Cup took me by surprise the other day.

Eleven? Is it really necessary to play so many? That seems an awful lot to me - two per month -- and you have to hope the quality of opposition for the friendly games is worth the while; unlike the recent farce against Togo.

The Asian Cup qualifiers against Yemen away on January 6 and Bahrain at home on March 3 are both competitive matches, and Takeshi Okada can look at a wide range of players in these two games.

Then there are the three games in the East Asian Championship in early February. Again these will be good tests for Japan, especially against China and South Korea, and games in which Okada can make only three substitutions. These matches should not be under-estimated in terms of the competitive nature in which they will be played. They will be hard and physical games, and Japan will do well to win all three on home soil in the East Asian Championship.

So there are five decent matches already. The only problem, of course, is that they are all against Asian opposition, and Japan will be facing one African team and two European sides at the World Cup. However, it was not long ago that Japan played the Dutch and Ghana on their visit to the Netherlands, and South Africa away, so they cannot say they are lacking experience against northern European or African teams away from home.

While accepting Japan need to play a couple of non-Asian teams, preferably away from home, do they really need to play six, as planned, on top of the five already mentioned? Personally, I don't think so, and two, or a maximum of three, would suffice.

And wouldn't it make more sense to leave these games until the end of the European season, when Okada can mix his J.League players with his Europe-based players.

I think the players would benefit more from a solid, routine-like domestic programme from March to May, rather than friendlies here, there and everywhere, before the final countdown to Cameroon on June 14 begins.

ends

24 Dec 2009(Thu)

December 22, 2009: It's good to see that Takeshi Okada is giving a new year break to the veterans and calling up some fresh faces for the interesting challenge in Yemen on January 6.

This will be a good learning process for the young Blues, as it is a serious match and part of the 2011 Asian Cup qualifying campaign.

And there was absolutely no need to put pressure on the more seasoned players, especially with the Emperor's Cup still plodding along through to January 1 and the East Asian Championship coming up in early February.

Several selections catch the eye, notably the ones from the under-20 team that won the silver medal in the recent East Asian Games in Hong Kong.

At the back, Taisuke Muramatsu looked an accomplished central defender, and showed good instincts at the other end by scoring Japan's goal in the final against Hong Kong. Any striker, any goal poacher, would have been proud of that one.

In the middle of the park, both Takuya Aoki and Kazuya Yamamura were prominent in the engine room, keeping the shape of the team as other players moved forward. Yamamura, who is still at university, was listed as a defender on the official JFA media release for the East Asian Games, but did a fine job as a defensive midfielder.

Up front, Kensuke Nagai and Yuya Osako got the call for Yemen. Nagai, as stated in a previous column, scored a lovely goal to beat South Korea 2-1 in the 121st minute of their semi-final, clipping the ball into the far corner when under pressure from a defender and the advancing keeper.

Osako did not do himself justice, however, and can play much better than the form he showed in Hong Kong.  In the semi-final against Korea he played as the lone striker, and looked uncomfortable as the target man, his control and distribution letting him down, but he improved a lot in the final against Hong Kong when he was playing slightly deeper and was able to collect the ball facing the goal rather than with his back to goal.

Antlers manager Oswaldo Oliveira thinks Osako can challenge for a place in Okada's squad for South Africa next June, and regarded last season as a learning process for the young forward. “Osako will be ready next season,” Oswaldo told me recently – and you have to believe him!

With the big man, Sota Hirayama, and the full-of-confidence Kazuma Watanabe also among the forwards, Osako will probably have to settle for a place on the bench in Yemen, but Okada is certainly giving him the chance to prove Oswaldo right.

ends

21 Dec 2009(Mon)

December 18, 2009: Shunsuke Nakamura needed a friend this week and found one in Takeshi Okada.

With Nakamura struggling to adapt to the high-paced skills of Spain, Okada reassured him that he remained a key figure in his plans for the World Cup in June, no matter how his first season with Espanyol pans out.

At the moment it is not going too well, and the left-footed playmaker has been unable to stamp his authority on the game. La Liga is quick as well as technical, and players – especially midfielders – need a lot of stamina and physical fitness to keep going for 90 minutes.

On top of this, he is not playing for one of the leading teams, quite unlike his four successful seasons with Celtic playing for a big team in a small league and with time and space to show his full repertoire of skills on a weekly basis.

Anyone who thought Nakamura would be able to step up instantly from Scotland to Spain was misguided, and also forgot that Nakamura was 31 years old at the time of the transfer; around three years past the age widely accepted as a player's peak.

In recent days, both Philippe Troussier and, more importantly, Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino noted Nakamura's struggles to adapt.

Troussier, who always regarded Nakamura as a luxury player and abhorred the media obsession with him, went as far as to say Okada should start the World Cup with Nakamura on the bench because he held up the rest of the team. Without him, Troussier reasoned, the team could be more dynamic and have more options in their build-up play.

So was Nakamura right to move to Espanyol instead of returning to the J.League with Yokohama F Marinos or staying another season with Celtic, where he had found his perfect level and would be guaranteed quality match time throughout the 2009-2010 season?

This is where Okada's words this week really hit home, as he backed Nakamura's decision all the way and said it spoke volumes of his character and ambition. It had been Nakamura's dream to play in Spain, and this was his last opportunity, so he had to take it.
The easy option would have been returning to Marinos and having a free ride with the fans and media, but he was not quite ready to do that, even at 31.

I am sure the “Nakamura to Marinos” stories will start again soon, but I really hope he stays in Spain and sticks it out with Espanyol, at least to the end of the season.

The situation will be much clearer in May, and Okada will be able to assess the physical and mental strength of Nakamura closer to the World Cup.

For now, though, he said all the right things when he could have been harsher and warned that if he were not playing for club he would not be playing for country.

ends