6 Nov 2003(Thu)

A few weeks before his 21st birthday, Urawa Reds striker Tatsuya Tanaka has come of age in the J.League.

Tanaka, who will be 21 on November 27, cleaned up in the individual awards before and after Urawa's stirring 4-0 victory over Kashima Antlers in the Nabisco Cup final on Monday.

The day before the final, Tanaka was named as the competition's New Hero for his form in the earlier rounds.

After the final, Tanaka was announced as the MVP, and there could be little argument over this selection.

Alongside the explosive Brazilian Emerson, Tanaka has formed a fast and dynamic strikeforce for Urawa. They ripped apart Shimizu S-Pulse in the second leg of the semifinal, and did the same to Kashima on Monday.

For the first goal, a great leap and header from Koji Yamase that surprised Yutaka Akita and Hitoshi Sogahata in the Kashima goal, Tanaka sent over a dangerous cross from the right wing his left foot.

The second goal, scored by Emerson, was a sublime finish after a beautiful pass from Hirakawa.

This goal, early in the second half, virtually settled the match, because I just couldn't see Antlers coming back from 2-0 down.

Tanaka made sure of the Reds victory, though, by scoring a magnificent third goal. Collecting the ball on the left, he raced around two defenders before striking a glorious right-foot shot past Sogahata from the edge of the box.

This goal captured all Tanaka's qualities: pace, control, confidence and an instinct for goal. It can't be long before Zico has a look at him for the national team, although the national coach said earlier in the year he didn't really want to mix the Olympic team and national team.

We'll have to see about this, because Tanaka is in superb form and I'm sure would love to be let loose against Cameroon and then in the four-nation East Asian Championship early next month.

Monday was a great day for Reds, spoiled somewhat by manager Hans Ooft's announcement he would be leaving after hearing from a third party that the club president did not want to keep him next season.

Tanaka is just one of the players who has progressed in leaps and bounds this season, and the evidence was there for all to see on Monday.

ends