27 Apr 2009(Mon)

April 25, 2009: If the level of Japanese clubs is giving their Australian counterparts a standard to aim for, then the Aussies are helping the Japanese develop, too.

Not so much in the technical department, but most definitely in the physical and psychological aspects of the game.

That's why clashes between these two sporting cultures at club and international level are always interesting to watch; and the two AFC Champions League games in midweek were no exception.

At a rain-drenched Todoroki Stadium on Tuesday night, Kawasaki Frontale were made to work hard for their 2-1 victory over Central Coast Mariners, who had been beaten 5-0 at home two weeks earlier by Kengo and Co.

The Australians lifted their game considerably this time, and seemed to enjoy the wet conditions as they slid into tackles from the opening whistle. The challenges may be rather more robust and heavier than usually to be found in the J.League, but it's good for Japanese players to come up against this. They have to learn to look after themselves, and stand up to the physical challenge posed by the bigger Australian players.

I often think the referees are far too soft in the J.League, and are too quick to stop play when someone decides to stay on the ground after an innocuous challenge. Instead of playing on, and telling the "injured" player to get up and get on with it, they seem only too happy to blow their whistle and race over to check on the condition of the "injured" player. The result is almost always the same -- he is not hurt at all, and is running around again within seconds, the "injury" having miraculously disappeared.

So I'm all for a bit of tough tackling and aggression, and also for some verbal volleys when players think their opponents are feigning injury. This also happened late on at Todoroki, with an Australian player telling a Japanese rival exactly what he thought of his feeble attempt to waste a few seconds.

Another thing I noticed was Central Coast captain Alex Wilkinson telling the referee, as the teams came out for the second half, to watch out for the Frontale throw-ins, suggesting that their low, snapping delivery was not exactly legal. I have seen this a lot in Japan and thought instantly "foul throw, ref", but it usually goes unpunished.

The following evening saw Newcastle Jets playing host to Grampus, when the referee featured prominently in the move that led to Ogawa's winner on 57 minutes by inadvertently intercepting a Newcastle pass in midfield and sparking the Nagoya counter! I wonder if the ref got an "assist" on the official score sheet?

What was very noticeable watching the game on TV was the reaction of the home supporters whenever they thought a Japanese player was play-acting after a foul or a tackle. Again, this is quite new for most Japanese players, and something they are not accustomed to out of the comfort zone of the J.League.

All these things can only help toughen up the Japanese players in general, mentally and physically.

ends