16 Feb 2004(Mon)

So, in the end, Zico selected only one Olympic team player for his national squad: FC Tokyo defender Teruyuki Moniwa.

After watching the four matches in February involving the Olympic and national teams, I would have been very tempted to pick at least one more member of the under-23 squad.

No, not Yoshito Okubo or Naohiro Ishikawa, who were also training with Zico rather than Masakuni Yamamoto.

But Marcus Tulio Tanaka, the Brazilian-turned-Japanese who had two eventful games against Iran U-23 and Russia.

Tulio really impressed me with his energy and his commitment.

He is far from the finished product, as Yamamoto pointed out after the 1-1 draw with Russia, but he has much to offer on the pitch.

My early conclusion was that Tulio is a Brazilian/Japanese version of Rigobert Song, Cameroon's all-action, never-say-die captain.

He is raw, occasionally wild, but gives everything to the cause and plays with his heart. What you see is what you get, and there are no half-measures with Tulio. If he gives only 100 percent for his team, then that's a bad day for him!

A newcomer to the squad after gaining Japanese citizenship last year, Tulio was quick to make himself heard, and this can only be good for Japan as communication, or the lack of it, remains a huge obstacle in the Japanese game.

Takamatsu's goal against Russia owed everything to Tulio, who broke from inside his own half, bulldozed through the heart of the Russian defense and headed toward goal like a runaway truck. That's the sort of initiative Philippe Troussier loved in a player.

I also liked Tulio's honest comments after the game. "I was happy a goal resulted from that play, but I really wanted to score it myself," he said.

In his two games, Japan had conceded a goal each time, so how could he be satisfied?

"We've only played well if it's zero at our end," he said.

I would think Moniwa and Tulio are certain starters in the Olympic team's back three, so Yamamoto must find just one more from several candidates. I would go for Tokunaga on the right, Tulio in the middle and Moniwa on the left. That's a tough and rugged defense that would never surrender a goal without an almighty fight.

Tulio was such a breath of fresh air to the team that I am sure he would have made a big contribution to Zico's squad, too, though not as a first-team player for some time yet.

ends