14 Aug 2003(Thu)

It's no wonder the European clubs cannot understand why Japan wants to bring back their players for the Aug. 20 friendly with Nigeria in Tokyo.

But it is no wonder, either, why Zico wants them back.

In short, Zico needs wins to buy some breathing room.

And if Japan struggle against Nigeria, then against Senegal next month and Cameroon in November, his reign as national coach may be over.

Zico's first year in charge has not been satisfactory.

He has tried to change the playing system from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2, even though there are hardly any orthodox fullbacks in the J.League, and he is encouraging the players to think for themselves when this quality is not generally associated with any form of Japanese society.

For these two main reasons, Zico's Japan has not been successful. Just two wins in 10 games, and none at home.

They should have qualified for the semifinals of the Confederations Cup, especially after beating New Zealand so easily in the first game, but then lost to an under-strength French team and finally, in the match that was always going to be the crucial one for Japan, to a Colombia side lacking the talent and sparkle of previous generations.

The pressure is on Zico.

This is why he wants his best players to come back, even though the European season is just getting underway and Japanese players are settling in with their new team, new coach or new playing system.

Because August 20 is a FIFA match day, the clubs have no choice but to release their players. Many other matches are taking place on this day, but they do not involve such lengthy journeys through so many time zones in such a short space of time.

The German season is already under way, and Takahara is in Hamburg's starting lineup. The English Premier League starts this weekend, with Inamoto keen to establish himself in his third season in England, second with Fulham, and Italy's Serie A kicks off at the end of the month, with Reggina (Nakamura) playing Sampdoria (Yanagisawa). Who knows if Nakata will still be at Parma in two weeks' time?

Zico has already said he plans to play Takahara and Okubo up front against Nigeria, and continue the momentum he felt Japan gained at the Confederations Cup.

So it is baffling why Zico wants to bring back Yanagisawa to sit on the bench, play maybe 45 minutes, when he could be training and settling down to life in Genoa.

The JFA say they regard these three games as preparation for the World Cup qualifiers starting next February. They have explained this to the clubs in order to keep the relations as smooth as possible.

But surely the reason is that Zico needs to win some games and show some signs he is taking the team forward, not backward.

With his strategy so heavily reliant on individual skill rather than team discipline, this is why he needs his best individual players to come back and hope they can click into gear.

At the moment, clearly his own future is more important than that of his players in Europe.

ends