17 Jul 2008(Thu)

July 16, 2008: Disappointed? Definitely.

Puzzled? Very much so.

Optimistic? Not really.

The final selection of Olympic team coach Yasuharu Sorimachi on Monday left me feeling more than a little bit baffled over a number of issues.

First, I don't think the squad reflects Japan's strengths at all in this age group.
Second, the coach has left out some very good players who could have done a good job in China.

And third, he seems to be gambling unnecessarily in a number of areas with players who might come off, but who might not.

Going back to the qualification process, the strength of this team lay in two areas -- in defence and on both flanks.

If you sat down with a blank piece of paper after qualifying and filled in the positions on the pitch that were solid, the result would be the shape of a horse shoe.

Right side covered, all across the back covered, and left side full, too -- and with a big hole in the middle for central midfield and attack.

But by dropping Inoha and Naoaki Aoyama the coach has weakened a strong area. The same can be said for the solid, combative defensive midfielder Toshihiro Aoyama, a good squad player.

As for creativity, Umesaki looked ready to step up and play a leading role in this team, judging by his rapid development through the age-group teams and with Urawa.

And even though Mizuno has lost some spark from his time in Glasgow, he remains an exciting talent whose speed and trickery could have caused problems for opponents in China.

Overall, then, I feel Sorimachi has jettisoned several tried and trusted players who served him well in qualifying.

The coach says he must look forward, not backward, but qualifying only ended in November and these players have not become bad players in such a short time.

Without the mature, intelligent play of Inoha at the back, or the aggressive heading of Naoaki Aoyama, any combination of Mizumoto-Morishige-Yoshida in the centre of defence looks vulnerable, inexperienced and...well, rather quiet in terms of communication and leadership.

The coach is still well served at full back with Uchida, Yasuda and Nagatomo, but it's in midfield where Sorimachi looks to be gambling.

He is putting a lot of faith in Kajiyama, who for me is too casual in his playing style and can lose the ball with a careless flick in a dangerous area, and in Taniguchi, whom Sorimachi regards as his Inamoto-type forager through the middle.

Kagawa is and looks lightweight, even though Sorimachi and Takeshi Okada have identified him as a major talent. We have to trust their optimisim on this one for the time being.

Up front, I wasn't aware that Japan had so many good forwards at this age level -- five of 20 in the final training camp, and now four of 18 in the final party.

No, I believe Sorimachi has removed much of the strong foundations of this team and rebuilt it too hastily, looking to correct faults in areas that did not exist.

This was never a great team in qualifying, but they were hard to beat due to a well-drilled defence, especially with three at the back and four players strung across the midfield. That was a solid, balanced defensive unit that played to Japan's strengths, and there was still room for three attack-minded players.

With this selection, Sorimachi is trying to play a more open, attacking game, a policy which can be regarded as bold or as misguided.

For now, I will stick with the latter.

ends