12 Jun 2003(Thu)

There is a saying in football that one week is a long time.

If that is true, then one year seems like an eternity.

This is what was going through my mind as I walked from Nagai Stadium to Nagai Station on Sunday night.

Japan had just been crushed 4-1 by Argentina, and during the game had shown nothing of the spirit, the professionalism and the dynamism on display one year earlier in the World Cup.

It was at this same Nagai Stadium, remember, that Japan beat Tunisia 2-0 to finish on top of their group and progress to the second round for the first time in history.

On that day, goals from Morishima and Hidetoshi Nakata had sparked nationwide celebrations.

Now, though, it was a different story, as the fans went home quietly. The thing that surprised me most was that the fans did not seem particularly disappointed.

It was almost as if they had been expecting this kind of beating from a team led by the likes of Cambiasso, Aimar and Saviola.

It has to be remembered, though, that this was virtually an Argentine reserve team, with defenders Samuel and Ayala, playmaker Veron, left winger Sorin and forwards Crespo and Claudio Lopez among those missing.

Yet still Japan could dominate Argentina for only 15 minutes or so at the start of the second half, during which the never-say-die Akita headed Japan back into the game at 2-1 down after those two wonderful first-half goals from Saviola and Zanetti.

Zanetti's goal was incredible, and highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams.

First they crowded out Hidetoshi Nakata on Japan's left wing, won possession and broke quickly. Zanetti then blew past, or through, Inamoto as if he were not there, and played a pass to the feet of Saviola.

Saviola's return pass was perfectly weighted, taking out Morioka and enabling Zanetti to run round him on the outside and crash an unstoppable shot past Narazaki and into the top corner.

Zico's response to the 4-1 beating was to change the whole team, except for Narazaki and Hidetoshi Nakata, for the game against Paraguay.

This is also a worrying factor, as it is Japan's final warmup game before the Confederations Cup.

If Japan play well against Paraguay, Zico will have even more selection questions to answer.

ends