22 Oct 2007(Mon)

October 19, 2007: It is a time for belated celebration, a time for quiet optimism, and a time for Yoshito Okubo to finally start making an impact at the highest level.

His two fine goals in the 4-1 defeat of Egypt on Wednesday were long overdue, coming in his 21st appearance for the national team since making his debut on May 31, 2003.

Admittedly, several of those appearances were restricted to only a few minutes as a substitute, but the pressure was building on him to deliver with each cap he received.

And now -- just like the public bus service in England -- you wait a long time, and then two come at once.

So good news for Okubo, who has improved overnight from no goals in 20 games to two in 21 -- an altogether healthier strike rate!

They say that one goal in three games is a decent return for a striker at this level, and Okubo is good enough to climb to that mark next year. Hopefully these goals will liberate him and he will continue to be aggressive and single-minded in his search for more.

It was Zico, of course, who gave Okubo his first chance, and talked him up a lot in 2003. But the goals did not come and he fell out of favour, missing his chance to make the 2006 World Cup squad.

Osim, too, was well aware of his qualities, but has made Okubo work and wait for his chances in the new set-up. Okubo started to repay that faith on Wednesday night and has put himself in the frame for a permanent place in the squad, but there is still tough competition in this department with the likes of Tatsuya Tanaka, Hisato Sato and Ryuji Bando.

Okubo fans, however, will feel that this is another part of the Osim jigsaw completed, another piece that fits the style and personality of the team. Apart from the result, then, this was a bonus at the end of the international year for Japan.

ends