25 Apr 2005(Mon)

TOKYO (April 23): What have Hasebe (Urawa Reds) and the FC Tokyo pair of Konno and Ishikawa got in common?

Well, they have all caught the eye of Bologna during a scouting mission to Japan.

According to sources within the J.League, Bologna want to sign one of these three in June, so he will be on board in time for the next Italian season.

They are all "very interesting players" (as Philippe Troussier would have said).

Of the three, who would be the most likely to do well in Italy? Meaning playing in the first team on a regular basis rather than sitting on the bench.

With the Italian game relying so much on defence and tactics, this would make Konno the obvious choice, although he is a very effective player going forward, too.

Personally, I feel Konno should have been in the national squad immediately after his Olympic commitments were over. He has a fantastic "engine" and is full of intelligent movement, with and without the ball.

He tackles well, makes great runs into space and can also score goals. His progress was rapid in the youth team and Olympic team and he needed to keep going forward into Zico's squad, but, alas, it has not happened.

Of the three players mentioned, I think Konno would have the best chance of success in Italy, as he is robust and strong and reliable.

Ishikawa, too, should have been promoted to the national squad, as he is an exciting, dynamic player, and was under-used by Yamamoto-kantoku in the Olympic Games.

He is fast and explosive and just loves to run at defenders, providing natural width on the right flank.

I don't know if the Italian style would stifle his natural game, though, and turn him into an "impact" player off the bench. Ishikawa doesn't want this, and would surely prefer a more open style of football, such as Spain or Holland.

Hasebe?

The boy has natural talent, that's for sure, but a move to Italy would seem somewhat premature.

He is still learning his trade in Japan, and, at the moment, appears a bit lightweight for Italy. But clearly the Italians noticed his natural skills and his energy.

This is the common characteristic of these three players: they all work hard for the team and never give up, and have their own special, but very different, individual points.

Has the "Hasebe Factor" got anything to do with Urawa's renewed interest in Toshiya Fujita?

Probably not, but maybe. We'll soon see...

ends