18 Feb 2008(Mon)

February 16, 2008: These are still early days in the Takeshi Okada reign, and the East Asian Championship in China will give him the chance to learn more about his players and test his ideas in a competitive environment.

One area he will want to address is finding a natural left-footer to bring balance to the team, especially at the back.

So far he has been using Komano at left back, but the player is clearly more comfortable and more effective on the right.

Okada is not short of options on the right side, however, with both Uchida and Zico favourite Kaji available; so Komano finds himself on the left.

I am a big fan of Komano's, admiring his tenacity and his positive approach, and his robust frame makes him an awkward customer for opponents to deal with.

But he still looks like a temporary solution, a compromise, on the left, and the late call-up of 20-year-old Yasuda will give the coach another option.

Yasuda has risen quickly from youth team to Olympic team to national squad, and will surely win his first senior cap in China, where Japan will play three matches in seven days.

In Okada's 4-4-2 formation, the two full backs are expected to provide the width going forward, rather than the midfield players, so it is imperative that the left-sided player can ping over an accurate cross on a consistent basis.

Komano's delivery with his left foot is erratic to say the least, and if Yasuda can supply this it will add another dimension to Japan's attack and make them much more dangerous in the box.

There are other candidates, too, such as Alex when he regains full match fitness at Reds, and Komiyama at Marinos.

Another player with an excellent left foot is Seiji Koga at Vissel Kobe. Now 28, Koga was an inspired signing from Avispa midway through last season by his old boss Matsuda.

Depending on the team performances in China, if Okada is looking for an experienced stop-gap to bring a natural balance on the left flank, he could do worse than check out the former Marinos man Koga when the new season starts.

ends