16 Nov 2006(Thu)

Osaka, Japan, November 15, 2006: Although both Japan and Saudi Arabia have already qualified for next year's Asian Cup finals, I still think their match at Sapporo on Wednesday night is significant.

By the time you read this, the match will have finished, and the result will have brought an end to the first stage of Osim's rebuilding process.

This is why I think the match is important.

If Japan play well and win against strong Asian opposition, then Osim is on the right course. Many of these players will be retained for next year and the long-term future.

But if they do not play well and the performance is a mess, then Osim will have to rethink his strategy and selection policy for next year. Maybe he will bring back some more experienced players, and concentrate more on the present than the future.

And then, of course, there are the players in Europe. I am sure some of them -- Nakamura and Matsui, for example -- must be in his mind for next year's Asian Cup, so this is why it would be a good idea for Japan to play a friendly or two in Europe next spring.

By doing that, it would provide good experience for his J.League players, while at the same time give Osim the chance to integrate the European players without disturbing their careers or body clocks too much.

So, while one view point is that the match against Saudi Arabia is meaningless, I do not agree at all. I think it is a crucial test at the end of Osim's first phase of rebuilding.

I must admit I like the selection of Jubilo's Maeda. He always plays with intensity and pace, and is always very imaginative and direct with his running. He seems the kind of player who, when a scoring chance comes along, does not hesitate or have any self-doubt. In other words, he does not think too much, which can often be a problem for forwards; he just gets on with it.

By now you will know the result of the Japan-Saudi game, but I feel Japan can play well and bring a successful conclusion to the first stage of post-2006 World Cup development.

ends