10 Jun 2004(Thu)

Zico has called up some interesting new faces during his time as national coach.

At the back, his selection of Tsuboi has been a good move.

On the right side of midfield, Kaji is a dynamic addition to the team.

Up front, the silky skills and elegant left foot of Tamada are a joy to watch.

Another smart move by Zico has been to recall one of my favourite Japanese players, Koji Nakata, despite his recent return from a long injury absence.

Wednesday's match against India has probably come a month too soon for Koji to be considered a starting member, so Inamoto's position goes to Fukunishi, who is so deadly in the air at the near post from corners and free kicks.

Nevertheless, it's good that Zico gets Koji involved again quickly, as he still has a long future ahead of him.

When Zico took over after the 2002 World Cup, I thought Koji was grossly under-used by the new coach as he attempted to field his so-called "golden quartet" in midfield.

Koji brings balance, shape and direction to the team, qualities which were lacking when Japan's "all-star" midfield resembled Shibuya station at 11 o'clock on a Friday night...people running everywhere from all directions.

I haven't seen an Antlers game since Koji returned to the lineup--sorry Kashima fans, I'm only watching the big teams like JEF United and Verdy these days--so I was quite surprised by his appearance in the flesh, so to speak.

He looked bigger and bulkier, results probably of swimming and weight training as he waited for his knee to recover.

My first feeling was that Troussier would have loved this new-look Nakata on the left side of defense, with a bit more power and more muscle.

I cannot confirm that Koji has gained weight, and maybe he hasn't, as he is listed at 74kg by the JFA, the same as in the J.League handbook at the start of the season.

But he certainly looks to have, and this is not a bad thing in the modern game.

Koji looked right at home playing for the reserve team against a schoolboy side in a practice match Monday, especially with Ogasawara and Motoyama alongside him in midfield, and Antlers Old Boys Yanagisawa and Suzuki ahead.

It won't be long before he's back in the first team, where his experience and quiet authority can only benefit Zico's squad.

ends