27 Aug 2007(Mon)

August 24, 2007: Japan coach Ivica Osim and fans of the national team could not have asked for much more from the first game since the Asian Cup.

A home win against a good team, a couple of excellent goals, and no signs of any post-traumatic stress disorder on the return from Vietnam.

Perhaps it was significant that both goals in the 2-0 victory against Cameroon were scored by players who were not in the Asian Cup squad: Tulio because he was injured and Koji Yamase because he was not selected.

Tulio was sorely missed in the Asian Cup, and showed exactly why with his clever first-half header. The big central defender makes things happen, rather than waits for them to happen.

Too often in Hanoi I thought Japan were too passive -- with the emphasis on "pass" -- and did not force the pace, especially in the opening game against Qatar. This is why Tulio's return was so noticable, and I would still like to see Osim appoint him captain because of these leadership qualities and his ideal position on the pitch to influence the team.

As for Yamase, he has been on fire this season for Marinos, and his return to the squad was widely predicted. His goal was a gem, and brought a big smile to the face of Osim. Not only did he have the confidence and the will to shoot first time from the edge of the box, he also had the technique to pull it off. The result was a spectacular strike that drew gasps of admiration from the fans watching the match on the big screen at the National Stadium in Tokyo, before the Japan-Vietnam Olympic qualifier.

Without the Europe-based players, and with a few fresh faces around, it definitely looked like the start of stage three of Osim's rebuilding programme. There was more pace, solidity and energy about the team, as the likes of Okubo, Maeda and Tanaka tried to make their mark. Yamase certainly did, with his wonderful goal.