22 Jan 2007(Mon)

Tokyo, January 20, 2007: So who's got the better deal -- Yokohama FC with Tatsuhiko Kubo or Yokohama F Marinos with Takayuki Suzuki?

I'd have to say Marinos at this point, as I have always been a fan of Suzuki's, whereas the physical condition of Kubo is just so up in the air.

When he is fully fit over a sustained period of time, of course, Kubo is a special player in the J.League, with distinctive qualities. He is awkward for defenders to mark, all elbows and sinew, and unpredictable in his play. Is he going to shoot with that powerful left foot, or is he going to lay the ball off and get in the box to meet the cross with a soaring header, trampling defenders in his wake?

That remains the attraction of Kubo. At 30 years old he is still raw, difficult to mark and even more difficult to read for a defender.

But that's when he is fit, and clearly Yokohama FC will be hoping that a change of environment and the challenge of leading a newly promoted team in J1 will bring a change of luck -- and a few goals, too.

His replacement in the Marinos squad is the much-travelled Takayuki, who has returned to Japan from Red Star Belgrade.

Unlike Kubo in his prime, for example 2003 when he bagged 16 goals in 25 games, Suzuki has never been a prolific scorer.

His highest single-season tally, in fact, is only six from 26 games in 2001, before he began his European tour, but scoring goals has never been what his game is about.

Takayuki is the ultimate team player, a resilient leader of the line who takes the knocks and opens up space for his teammates. I once thought a Takayuki-Okubo partnership would work well in the national team, but both players disappeared off Zico's radar long before Germany and were never in the running for a place in the 23.

Suzuki is also 30 and past his prime, but he will give the Marinos attack a focal point and keep his markers busy. He is also the master of winning free kicks around the box, so no doubt Koji Yamase will be rubbing his hands together at the prospect of a shooting gallery.

Both Kubo and Suzuki will provide experience and leadership in their respective new clubs, and will be crucial figures if their teams are to have successful campaigns.

In the case of Marinos, success means getting back up there and challenging for the title; for Yokohama FC, their goals are more modest -- and Kubo will have to score a few of them to give them some momentum.

ends