23 Feb 2003(Sun)

Jubilo Iwata's technical adviser and former captain, Dunga, is confident his struggling team can get it right in time for the new J.League season on March 21.

But he has warned the players it will be much harder to defend the championship this year than it was to win both stages last season.

Jubilo, under new manager Masaaki Yanagishita, have been a major disappointment in the A3 Mazda Champions Cup, the inaugural east Asian club tournament that concludes Saturday at National Stadium in Tokyo.

After losing their opening game 2-0 to South Korea's Songnam Ilhwa last Sunday, they went down by the same score against fierce rivals Kashima Antlers on Wednesday.

Kashima can clinch the championship Saturday, and the $400,000 first prize, with only a draw against Songnam, whereas Jubilo will be fighting for pride against China's Dalian Shide.

Brazil's 1994 World Cup-winning captain said: "It is very important to win this last game because it will give confidence not only to the players but also the manager and supporters.

"I hope our players can express on the field what they have been doing every day in training, especially in shooting from middle distance, say 25 or 20 meters. They also need to change the rhythm of the game."

Commenting on Jubilo's slow start, Dunga said: "It's normal that it will take two or three games, but I think the level is going up in every game and every training session.

"I am confident we will continue to be strong when the league season starts, but it's going to be more difficult this time as the other teams will be more aggressive and enthusiastic when they play against Jubilo.

"Against Kashima there was more good crosses than in the first game, and in the second half there was more speed and we were able to change the tempo.

"But at the moment we need more balance in the team. (Naohiro) Takahara has gone, Nakayama and Nanami didn't play against Kashima, and the youth players need more time to work together and more coordination."

With Takahara now at Hamburg in Germany, Yanagishita has played Norihiro Nishi up front in both Mazda matches.

But Dunga feels that Nishi, usually a right winger, is not the answer to Jubilo's scoring problems.

"Nishi finds it difficult to play with his back to the other goal. He is better when he is facing the goal and he can use his speed and dribbling and shooting ability."

ends