5 Feb 2004(Thu)

It was very interesting, not to mention very cold, watching Japan's training session Tuesday afternoon/evening at Kashima Stadium.

I had fully expected Zico to stick with 3-5-2 after Japan played well at the East Asian Football Championship in December with this system.

But no, the head coach went back to a four-man defense.

Not only this, his formation became 4-1-3-2, with only one defensive midfielder, Endo, playing in front of the four defenders: Yamada (the Reds Yamada, not the Verdy version), Tsuboi, Miyamoto and Santos.

In front of Endo there were three attacking midfielders constantly changing positions and roaming across the pitch. These were Fujita, Ogasawara and Motoyama.

The two strikers were Kubo and Kurobe, as Okubo is suspended for Saturday's match against Malaysia after being sent off against Korea in the last East Asian championship match.

Zico's formation took many people by surprise, and seemed to indicate he was laying the foundations for when the European players return for the World Cup qualifier against Oman at Saitama on February 18.

He has two matches to prepare for the Oman game: against Malaysia and then Iraq on Thursday, February 12.

So clearly it looks like he is abandoning the 3-5-2 system which I feel suits Japan's players best and which gives the team better balance.

Against Malaysia and Iraq, Japan should be able to win without much trouble. The Malaysians, especially, will be uncomfortable in the icy temperatures on the Ibaraki coast on a February night, a world removed from the heat and humidity of their tropical country.

But I am worried about when Japan face stronger opposition with strong ambition. Yamada and Santos are better going forward than backward, and is one defensive midfielder enough?

Three players seemed to have the freedom to move around. Is this too many?

Zico, of course, still has three days to look at his options, but I didn't like the first one.

ends