17 Mar 2008(Mon)

March 14, 2008: There were a few talking points at JFA House in Tokyo on Friday afternoon when the squad list was handed out for the Bahrain away game on March 26.

Inamoto in -- generally welcomed as Japan need some muscle in central midfield.

Tamada in -- why not now he is fit? Who will ever forget his brilliant strike against Brazil in the World Cup?

Shunsuke not in -- now this prompted mixed feelings, but mostly negative.

Some reasoned that Nakamura would be playing for Celtic on March 15, March 18 and March 23 -- the last game, away to Gretna, just three days before the World Cup qualifier. Why should Okada pick him amidst this hectic schedule and when he will be able to train with Japan for a maximum of two sessions, maybe only one?

The other school of thought was that Okada should have called him up, as Shunsuke is in good nick and playing well, and it's more convenient to travel from Glasgow to the Gulf than it is to Japan.

I certainly feel that Okada should have picked Nakamura for this game, despite the tight schedule.

It is not as though Japan's midfield is in dazzling form, is it? While Inamoto will toughen them up and give them a bit of drive through the middle, surely there was still room for Shunsuke.

This is going to be a tough game, and one moment of magic from Nakamura could be the difference -- a brilliant free kick, a corner right on to Nakazawa's head, a slide-rule pass for Tamada to race on to, round the keeper and slot into an empty net...

In addition to this, the 21-strong squad will not be together from day one, so preparation is going to be patchy.

The bulk of the squad will leave for Dubai on Monday, but the five who play for Gamba and Antlers will not join them until Friday, after AFC Champions League games on Wednesday. Inamoto plays for Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, so the squad will be assembling in dribs and drabs over the course of a few days.

Given all this, and the importance of the game, I think Okada is making a mistake not calling up Shunsuke on this occasion. Good enough to play against Barcelona, but not against Bahrain, it seems.

ends