12 Feb 2007(Mon)

February 10, 2007: If you want to build a strong team, build from the back is the usual philosophy.

That seems to be the case at Shonan Bellmare, who have added another defensive veteran to their ranks as they try to challege for promotion from J2 in 2007.

The former Antlers and national team right back Akira Narahashi is the latest acquisition for Shonan, who had already signed Toshihide Saito from S-Pulse and Jean Witte from FC Tokyo.

Narahashi and Saito were both members of Takeshi Okada's World Cup squad in France. Whereas Saito was the understudy to captain and libero Masami Ihara, Narahashi was the first-choice selection on the right side of the coach's 3-5-2 formation.

On the other wing, of course, was his Antlers team-mate Naoki Soma, and this pair formed a dynamic combination for club and country, either as wing backs in the national team or on the flanks of Antlers' four-man defence. In the good old days for Antlers fans, the back four of Narahashi, Akita, Fabiano and Soma used to roll off the tongue as smoothly as the defence used to operate, again providing a solid base for the team to build from.

Some serious injury problems for Narahashi in recent seasons, though, together with the emergence of teenage right back Atsuto Uchida, led to the inevitable release of the 35-year-old defender, and he has now returned "home" to Bellmare with the experience of 310 J1 games behind him, and 38 caps for Japan.

The class of Saito and the combative qualities of Jean should make for a useful combination in the heart of the Bellmare defence, in much the same way Kyoto are hoping for the Akita-Morioka partnership to anchor the team.

Meanwhile, Uchida, still only 18, will be hoping to emulate the career of Narahashi, and is already on the international ladder with a place in Japan's under-22 squad for the friendly against the United States in Kumamoto on February 21.

ends