27 Mar 2008(Thu)

March 26, 2008: Japan's World Cup qualifier in Bahrain on Wednesday night will surely be a tough test for Takeshi Okada's team.

Of the six games in this third round of Asian qualifying, this always looked like the hardest assignment for Japan.

Under the circumstances, a draw would be a decent result to add to the three points Japan took at home to Thailand in the Saitama snow.

Even if Japan lose they would still have four matches to clinch one of the two qualifying places to advance to the 10-team, two-group final round. After Bahrain away, those four remaining games all take place in June, starting with Oman at home on the 2nd, Oman away (7th), Thailand away (14th) and Bahrain at home (22nd).

To prepare for this sequence of matches, Japan will have two Kirin Cup games in late May, so Okada will have plenty of opportunity to integrate the players he needs from Europe.

On the subject of which...I am still disappointed Okada did not call up Shunsuke Nakamura for this match.

I have been reading that the player was overlooked because of "club commitments" with Celtic. What, on Wednesday?

Nakamura played for Celtic against Gretna on Sunday, and will be in action in the Old Firm derby against Rangers on Saturday, but that does not rule him out of the Bahrain game.

It is not "club commitments" that is keeping him out; it is because Okada wanted time to prepare his team, and didn't want Nakamura joining the camp a couple of days before the game.

I have already given my reasons why I think Okada should have selected Nakamura, regardless of whether or not that Gretna-Celtic match went ahead, so will not do so again.

Suffice to say that Nakamura will be sitting around in Glasgow on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with nothing much to do, while Japan are playing a World Cup qualifier not too far away, and other players are flying round the world in an international week to play for their country.

In fact, I am surprised a Japanese TV station or newspaper has not flown Shunsuke to Bahrain to be a celebrity analyst!

A prediction for tonight? I will go for 0-0.

Both teams won their opening game in the group and are regarded as the two most likely to qualify. The priority, therefore, may be not to lose to their main rival so early in the group.

ends