7 Jul 2008(Mon)

July 4, 2008: Dragan Stojkovic built his reputation as a player with natural attacking flair -- but he knows a good defender when he sees one.

And he's seen one at Nagoya; a defender with a great left foot, tough physique and, in his opinion, on the brink of selection for the full national team.

Surely he's talking about his 19-year-old central defender Maya Yoshida, who has already won a place in Japan's provisional 20-strong squad for the Olympic Games.

After all, Yoshida fits the above description perfectly.

But no; Stojkovic is referring to his left back, Shohei Abe, who had another impressive game in midweek when Grampus won 1-0 at JEF United in the Nabisco Cup.

At a time when national coach Takeshi Okada is desperate to find a left back who is naturally left-footed and 100 per cent reliable, Abe must be starting to show up on the JFA radar, in the slipstream of Yasuda of Gamba.

After the match at Fukuda Denshi Arena on Wednesday, I asked Stojkovic about his emerging left back.

"From my point of view he is very close to being in the national team," said the Grampus boss.

"He is a real full back, with an excellent left foot and good timing. Physically he is very good, so he has a lot of positive characteristics."

This is the second time I have written about the 24-year-old Abe this season, as he also stood out when Grampus beat Omiya Ardija at NACK5 Stadium.

He really does look the part, with his sturdy 1.71-metre frame and, as his manager says, his excellent technique.

Against JEF he was changing the direction of the attack with a swish of that powerful left foot, sending the ball out to the right wing and landing it on a one-yen coin from 50 metres. He plays with a Komano-style bustle and can maintain this high tempo for 90 minutes.

I had been hoping to take another close look at the left-footed central defender Yoshida that night, but Stojkovic gave him a rest on the bench and went with the imposing Bajalica-Masukawa partnership in the middle.

Still, it did not stop Stojkovic from singing the praises of Yoshida, or Maya as he calls him.

"He is only 19, very young, and everything that's happened is maybe a surprise for everybody, and for him also," admitted the manager.

"He has a good future, not only for Grampus but for Japanese football. It depends on him. His improvement is very amazing; in the last six months he has shown a good attitude. It is just the beginning. One day he can become a real leader."

Maybe just the beginning for Abe, too, even at 24.

ends