Japan Will Crush Hong Kong

Hong Kong, didn't your mother ever tell you to turn off the laser lights when you're not using them?

If history is any indicator, Japan should walk all over Hong Kong like Chuck Taylors on a New York City sidewalk. Just over a month ago, Japan handed Hong Kong a spanking befit for a drunk father catching his son's hand in the cookie jar. The 6-0 win for Japan, where Shinji Okazaki recorded a hat trick, could have actually been worse as Japan squandered a few more golden scoring opportunities. What does this all mean leading up to tomorrow's AFC Cup 2011 Qualifier? Well, it means that I'm not going too much time with formation or squad predictions on this one. I will, however, predict the scoreline: 5-0 with a standard deviation of 3 goals. Yep, 3-0 if Japan plays its worst, 8-0 if Japan comes out hot and heavy.

In other news, the JFA has apparently joined the ranks of irate football nations and asked for a World Cup ban on the trumpet "fly noise" instrument, known as the vuvuzela, common in South African football matches. If you watched any of the Confederations Cup or Japan and South Africa's match a few days ago, then you know the instrument I speak of. The loud buzzing noise drowns out so much sound that players on the pitch are unable to hear each other communicate.

They say that one vuvuzela makes the noise of 1 million flies simultaneously reaching orgasm; okay I made that up.

Broadcasters hate the noise because it makes annoying television, and some football fans argue that the instrument detracts from fans' contributions to momentum as the buzzing takes a constant non-partisan stance that drowns out any chants, songs, or sounds of encouragement from the live audience's impact on the game.

Japan coach, Takeshi Okada, even went as far to make this comment, "Perhaps if (South Africa) play good football (the fans) will be quiet and watch." That's quite a dig from a team who only succeeded in attaining a goalless draw. While I understand the sentiment of the players, broadcasters, fans, and insulting coaches, its my opinion that the point of varying host nations is for the sporting community to embrace the host's sporting culture as guests. In South Africa, the vuvuzela is just how the fans roll. They shouldn't be asked to change in order to accommodate their guests.

Also, making news: Japan and Urawa Reds Center Back Marcus Tulio Tanaka has announced his intention to leave the J-League for a Middle East or European club and will "make up his mind by November 25." Good move? Bad move? More on this to follow when details become evident.

What can I say, the guy has weird hair.

Let me know, as always, what you think of Hong Kong's chances, Japan's outrage over the obnoxious fly kazoo, and/or Tulio's indecision to leave or stay in Japan. Post a comment or send me an e-mail.

Okada-san: "Perhaps if they play good football (the flies) will be quiet and watch."
Giant Fly: "Look me in the eyes and say it, douchebag!"

Japan 0 – South Africa 0; Japan's Reality Check

Well this one was a wake up call for the Nihon Daihyo. Coming off of a 3 match stretch where they outscored their opponents 13-0, the team from Japan failed to find the back of the net yesterday. In what appeared to be a throwback to the offensive-inept team of old, Japan controlled the majority of possession, but the Blue Samurai could not pull the trigger and capitalize on all of their hard work.

Give credit where its due, the South Africans were no push overs and disrupted the passing attack of Japan time and time again. To be perfectly honest, this was a fairly boring match, as there wasn't much offense from either team, and anytime a match ends in a draw I think you wind up wishing that you had just rest about the outcome in the paper the next game instead of having wasted 90 minutes of your time. Japan had a few chances that if not for some fine keeper play from South Africa could have easily altered the score line. Bafana Bafana's best chance for goal came in the 68^th when a clever cherry picking play left Yuji Nakazawa to head the ball back to Kawashima, Japan's goal keeper, a split second before the Bafana striker could put a toe to it.

I don't really have much to say in terms of analysis. Takayuki Morimoto was sorely missed and its hard to imagine Japan getting anywhere without him alongside Shinji Okazaki up front. Okubo and Koroki played opposite Okazaki and looked just as invisible as they have in the past. Its becoming more clear with every match that Japan has absolutely no depth at forward. If either Okazaki or Morimoto have fitness issues come next June, don't count on Japan scoring many goals.

Another realization was the importance of Shunsuke Nakamura's presence on the pitch. Not making his appearance until the middle of the second half, Shunsuke came in and inspired a very flat team. Keisuke Honda, whom Shunsuke replaced, was responsible for a countless amount of stolen passes and was guilty of holding the ball in many situations when passing opportunities presented themselves. Honda still has more to learn in terms of team-play.

All in all, a decent but not extraordinary effort from team Japan. If this match served any purpose, it brought the Nihon Daihyo back to Earth from a marvelous string of previous performances and highlighted the places where we still have room for improvement. We will take on Hong Kong on Wednesday in a rematch from the last 6-0 win for Japan.

Also, the site of the match, Nelson Mandela Stadium in Port Elizabeth was built just for the World Cup. Hats off to the South Africa for building a beautiful stadium and doing it on time.

Oh, and the Blue Samurai decided to sport their new jerseys today. They would probably have looked better if they had played better.

Watch the match highlights here.

Japan versus South Africa

The Blue Samurai are getting acquainted with South Africa early and will play a friendly against the South African "Bafana Bafana" squad tomorrow. Hopefully, the Japanese players are scoping out the local food joints so that they'll know where the best deals on shrimp scampi are when they're back in town next year. I also think that they are tuning their ears to the incredibly hilarious English spoken by the South Africans. Please, if you are South African, do not take offense. I mean "incredibly hilarious English" in the best way possible.

Actually, there have been reports coming from the Japanese media that the players are on lock down with a "be in bed by sundown" curfew as South Africa has been known to have a high murder rate, vampire to human ratio, and District Nine. The South Africans were, of course, offended by these reports, claiming that the country is reasonably safe as long as you walk around carrying a loaded gun with silver bullets to deter the werewolves.

Its reasonable that the South Africans would show disdain for a Japanese contingency too afraid to dance in the moonlight. As they are hosting the biggest sporting event in four years (maybe the Olympics are bigger?), the country does not want to highlight its dangerous side in the wake of a massive immigration of the World's best football teams, their fans, and most importantly -the money and tourism boost they bring along with them.

Apparently, the Japanese players are suggesting the rumors of a curfew were fabricated. I'm not sure, and think it could just be a ploy to save face; but what does any of this matter? Let us move on to why you are really here. Football Talk.

Japan Squad:

Keepers:
Eiji Kawashima (Frontale)
Shusaku Nishikawa (Trinita)

Defenders:
Yuji Nakazawa (Marinos)
Yuichi Komano (Jubilo)
Daiki Iwamasa (Antlers)
Atsuto Uchida (Antlers)
Yasuyuki Konno (Tokyo)
Yuhei Tokunaga (Tokyo)
Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa)

Midfielders:
Shunsuke Nakamura (Espanyol)
Yasuhito Endo (Gamba)
Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble)
Yuki Abe (Reds)
Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)
Keisuke Honda (Venlo)
Junichi Inamoto (Rennes)

Forwards:
Keiji Tamada (Grampus)
Hisato Sato (Sanfrecce)
Yoshito Okubo (Vissel)
Shinji Okazaki (S-Pulse)
Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)*

*Doubtful due to injury

What we are looking at here is essentially the same squad that we have seen in recent matches, but with a few major differences. On defense, we will be without sideback Yuto Nagatomo. Most likely, we will see Yuichi Komano filling in as he has played very nicely in the opportunities that he has been awarded when either Nagatomo or Uchida have been missing. In midfield we lose Kengo Nakamura to injury. While Kengo Naka has played very consistently well, it would be a far stretch to claim that he is in-expendable, as midfield is very deep for Japan. Expect Keisuke Honda to get the call up in his place. Takayuki Morimoto is nursing an ankle injury and is doubtful to play this match. Probably the most disappointing news of all, Mori looked so promising in the last couple matches that I'm sure all of Japan's fans have been salivating to see more.

Probable Formation:

Barring Okada going mental and reverting back to his ineffective 4-5-1 formation, I think he has learned his lesson and will stick with the 4-4-2.

Kawashima

Uchida ------ Nakazawa ------ Tulio ------ Komano

Hasebe ------ Endo

Honda ------ Nakamura

Okazaki ------ Tamada or Okubo

A decent line up for Japan. Obviously if you could substitute Morimoto's name for Tamada/Okubo the team would seem much more threatening in attack. Still I would say that this is very close to the starting eleven for next year's World Cup with question marks at keeper which could go back to Narazaki, side back: Komano or Nagatomo ftw, and striker opposite Okazaki as we discussed previously.

Bafana Bafana:

The South Africans will hopefully put up a better fight then their African compatriots Togo did in our last 5-0 thrashing. You can never count out the importance of home field advantage, and the 12th man will surely play a factor in this match.

Still, the Bafana Bafana have reason to worry as they have won only one of their last 8 matches, and face a Japan team that has been steam rolling opponents as of late. They have much to prove in front of their home fans.

Playmakers and Everton midfiedler, Steven Pienaar has been scratched from the squad due to injury. Probably the most signifiant blow to South Africa, they will have to look for other players to step up to fill the void. One such player could be Benni McCarthy, striker for the Blackburn Rovers. McCarthy, at only 27 years of age is South Africa's all-time top goalscorer and second most capped player. His caps lag only behind captain and defender Aaron Mokoena of Portsmouth. These two have had plenty of experience playing in the English Premier League and will not be intimidated by a team of mainly J. League status.

My Prediction (for what its worth):

Japan have been playing far too well lately to expect any less. I say Okazaki continues his hot streak by netting once. Also, I say that Nakamura inspires us with a great set piece either from a free-kick or he finds the head of Tulio or Nakazawa. Benni McCarthy does his thing and finds paydirt but its not enough for Japan's possession midfield.

Blue Samurai 2 - Bafana Bafana 1

New World Cup Home Jerseys

The JFA has released the new jersey that we will wear for our "home" matches in South Africa. At first I didn't really know what to think of the design, but its been growing on me little by little. The biggest difference with this new jersey relative to the old, is the addition of the Japanese flag above the JFA emblem, and the red bit on the neckline. The flag is a welcome addition, but I can imagine that the red may be a point of contention for the fashionistas out there. I'm going to go ahead and say that I like it, it breaks up the monotony of the blue and seems to give the jersey an edge that it didn't have before. Leave comments or send e-mail feedback and let me know what you think. Also, if any of you have an idea of where one can purchase reasonably priced Blue Samurai apparel, please send me a link. I've had a number of readers asking about where they could make wise purchases.

We're still waiting on the release of the "Away" jerseys.

Also, the Blue Samurai take on the South Africans in South Africa this Saturday the 14th. More on that to follow.

Japan 5 - Togo No Go-al

Best Friends Forever?

This show was over before the popcorn was done. Shinji Okazaki put the game away in the 8th minute by scoring... his second goal of the match, and he wasn't even done for the night. Goal 1 came in the 5th minute when Yasuhito Endo crossed into the box from the left side to find the inside of Okazaki's left boot. Okazaki expertly timed his run, Endo's cross was pinpoint, and then Okazaki made the one touch finish look easy to get the scoring started. Afterward, I witnessed one of the most bizarre goal celebrations I've seen, where Shinji began skipping sideways doing what I can only describe as... a chicken dance. I'm not kidding, it was revolting, surprising, and goofy as hell. The best thing that happened to him was when his fellow comrades swarmed around him to pin his wings... er arms to his body.

3 minutes later, Kengo Nakamura found a wide open space on the left flank and unchallenged, crossed in to find Okazaki "The Chicken Man" who very deftly back heeled the ball behind him with his right foot to find the back of the net. This one was an absolute beauty and probably the best of the match.

In the 11th minute, Takayuki "The Shining" Morimoto received the ball at the center of the top of the box. Being covered tightly by a Togo defender, Mori used his strength to turn on both defender and ball and slotted home for his first goal for the national squad to put Japan 3 ahead. Morimoto's body use looked very similar to how the 2nd goal of the Scotland match came to fruition when his shot deflected into the waiting Keisuke Honda.

Honda would bag a late deflection goal mimicking his last one against Scotland and finish off the scoring, but not before "Chicken Man" would get his hat trick in the 66th minute off a well placed header from a Makoto Hasebe cross. To my mixed emotion of disgust/delight he proceeds to grace us with an encore of the Chicken Dance! You can watch the match highlights here, but watch from 4:22 - 4:30 to get a really good look at Chicken Madness.

My Match Thoughts:

The Chicken Man - needs to develop much better dance moves if he's going to be scoring goals in bunches. Two hat tricks within a week... that can only be described as a striker's wet dream. Looking at his numbers that gives Okazaki 14 goals in 18 matches for a strike rate of .778 goals per match. Unreal figures that none of us can expect for him to keep up, and against better competition (as in real WC matches), I'd say 3 goals from the entire team let alone one man would be plentiful.

Hm, maybe Okazaki could drop the Chicken Dance and take up ballet

To get an idea of how impressive his current strike rate is, let us take a look at some other world class perennial strikers to see what their numbers are for their respective nations.

• Shinji Okazaki - Japan 14/18 .778

• David Villa - Spain 33/52 .635

• Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden 22/59 .373

• Luis Fabiano - Brazil 25/33 .758

• Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal 22/68 .324

• Wayne Rooney - England 25/55 .455

• Lionel Messi - Argentina 14/40 .350

• Samuel Eto'o - Cameroon 41/86 .477
  

So there you go, I know that this is just a make shift list with current players that I feel are always going to score for their nations. The statistics buffs out there are going to tell me that 18 matches isn't a fair sample size to judge against people who have played more matches. They'll tell me that if a player scores 3 goals in his debut than he would have a strike rate of 3.00 at the time. Trust me, I understand. I am just pointing out that at the moment, Okazaki is looking damn good, with only Luis Fabiano behind him with 25/33 for a very impressive .758 goals per match.

And just for kicks, here is one more player of interest, that's right the sushi bomber:

• Naohiro Takahara - Japan 23/57 .404

Makoto Hasebe, the Unsung Hero - Hasebe plays the unglamorous defensive midfield position, and thus will only score goals on occasion. He may be overlooked often and under-appreciated but take notice folks, Hasebe is integral player to Japan's success. For years, fans have glorified Shunsuke Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo as Japan's midfield backbone. However, there is a reason why Hasebe's name has shown consistently on the squad list in recent international competition, and why he is a first team regular for Champions League team Vfl Wolfsburg. He tackles hard, plays with heart, and always seems hungry to improve. If you watch the highlight video, and can understand Japanese, there is an on pitch interview with Hasebe.

Interviewer: "You really ran a lot today didn't you?"
Hasebe: "No, that is not the case. I need to run more."

I love that attitude, and you cant tell that he means it. There was an interesting aspect of the broadcast that measured how much each player had run. By the account of the measuring device, Hasebe had clearly run more than any other player. He was then asked:

Interviewer: "You say that you need to run more, but you ran the most today didn't you?"
Hasebe: "No, I don't believe so."

You have to love that in an athlete regardless of position or even sport for that matter.

Again, Why the 4-5-1? - After securing a large lead, Okada made several substitutions and instated his well liked 4-5-1 formation. I have stated my disdain for this formation, when Japan looks much more fluid in the 4-4-2, but I can understand that Okada would want to play slightly more defensive after gaining a lead. It seems like good coaching and I don't have a problem with dropping a striker for a midfielder when we are up by 3 goals. However, in Okada's 4-5-1 formation, he still plays 4 midfielders and two strikers with one striker playing midfield. Today, that role was given to Yoshito Okubo who looked out of sorts and was largely invisible in the match. If Okada wants to play a 4-5-1, bring in another midfielder like Inamoto, Matsui, Hashimoto... midfield is our deepest position, utilize it.

When Okada made his changes, one of the announcers suggested that the new formation could look like:

Okubo - Okazaki

Honda

K. Nakamura - S. Nakamura

Hasebe

Awesome, right? Hasebe playing lone DMF; Honda playing AMF/SS. Looks really good to me, but no, Okada ignores the announcer as much as he ignores me.

South Africa - We play them next in one months time. South Africa have clinched a place in the World Cup by default, and will be the first WC team we have played since last months 3-0 loss to the Netherlands. While the South Africans don't have the world class punch that the Netherlands pack, they will prove to be a much better test than our recent competition. We have beaten our last 3 opponents by a 13-0 margin. That statistic blew away my expectations and I hope and believe that we can carry on our success to next month's match and beyond.

For once, our striker position seems solid with the emergence of Okazaki and Morimoto. If we have any question marks that linger, it would still be our 2 center backs that may need improvement if we are to reach our Semi-Final goal next June. But for now, no complaints here. All is well in the football realm of the Nihon Daihyo.

Oh, except one thing. Cluck Cluck.

Damn.

Japan versus Togo Preview

Japan faces FIFA ranked 71 Togo tomorrow in a friendly match that will help prepare at least one side for the upcoming World Cup. Togo was eliminated from World Cup qualifying last Saturday with a demoralizing 3-0 loss to Cameroon. Togo will also be without Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor and Aston Villa midfielder Mustapha Salifou. Without their main attacking threat and midfield general, Togo will be sending out a much weakened side with low morale and little international experience. Expect Japan to jump all over them.

The Togo match will conclude the 3 match series that Japan began with a 6-0 AFC Qualification win against Hong Kong, followed by a 2-0 victory over a second rate Scotland side. They will hope to add to the already 8-0 score deficit and will very likely break the double digit margin.

While Japan have continued to hone their skills, none of the 3 teams they have faced this past week have been of World Cup caliber and may be providing false positives to the success of Japan. The next match against South Africa, the host WC nation, will be a much better indicator of how much Japan has improved or declined since the last WC in Germany.
What to Look for:

Depending on Takeshi Okada's agenda, we may see the full first team take the pitch or he may give way to the fringe players to give them more playing time.

Expect Eiji Kawashima to fill the keeper role left vacant by an injured Seigo Narazaki. Depending on Kawashima's play, he may supplant Narazaki as the first team keeper.

On defense, I would like to see more of Daiki Iwamasa who made his international debut in teh last match against Scotland. Playing the whole 90 minutes, Okada may choose to give way to the more rested Tulio Tanaka or Yuji Nakazawa, the two most familiar faces in the back line.

In midfield, Okada has a whole array of options, but I wouldn't expect to see any new surprises or combination. Most likely, he will start the players from the Hong Kong match: Shunsuke Nakamura, Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe, and Daisuke Matsui.

Up top, I would be surprised if Takayuki "The Shining" Morimoto doesn't start alongside the proven Shinji Okazaki. Okada stated after the Scotland game that he "was surprised" by Mori's attacking play, which suggests to me that he hasn't seen as much of Morimoto playing for Catania as I have. I'm sure Okada will want to give him more time to work on his chemistry with the first team midfield and fellow striker. He's the real deal, and will be in Japan's starting eleven in South Africa 2010.
My Prediction:

A demoralized team missing its two best players = No Problem for a fit, confident Japan side. I'm going to go a little wild with my guess this time, but I'm going to say we grab a header goal off a corner, our strikers each get a goal apiece, and maybe Naka or Endo gives us a free-kick beauty as well.

Japan 4 - Togo 1

Japan 2 - Scotland 0, Morimoto Shines

The Blue Samurai really handed it to a depleted Scotland side in an unsurprising fashion. Scotland came out with mainly untested players with several finding their first footing on the pitch for the senior national side. Japan also played the debut of a couple members: center back Daiki Iwamasa of J. League side Kashima Antlers, and of course the much anticipated first showing of Catania Calcio striker Takayuki Morimoto (below). Both played well, but Morimoto, who entered the match in the 56th minute proved to be the game changer.

Morimoto did not score either of the two goals, but one could argue that both goals could be attributed to him. The first came from an own goal from Christophe Berra who deflected a Komano cross straight into goal. Mori was in perfect position to be on the receiving end of the pass, and of the two (Berra or Mori) was going to score.

The second goal came with 2 minutes left in regulation when again Komano crossed from the left side into Morimoto. This time, the big baldy made a very quick and classy (very unusual for a Japanese striker might I add) turn on the ball and took a shot. The shot was deflected, but the positioning of the defenders and the floundering keeper made it very easy for Keisuke Honda to receive the deflection and rifle home to secure the match at 2-0.

Dude, Takeshi Okada really has that "Intimidating Samurai" look well- practiced. He needs to smile. Somebody get the guy a candy bar.

Okay Scotland was playing a B side, but that wasn't the fault of the JFA, Okada, or any of the players. So while one can remark that a win against a B side means nothing, here are a few thoughts that I had about the win, and what it means for Japan.

1. Eiji Kawashima - He made the best play of the night by stopping a one on one with a truly brilliant save by doing a "split" and using the studs of his left boot to knock the ball out of the feet of striker Steven Fletcher. Kawashima played well against Scotland, and though losing 3-0 to the Netherlands, most of the goals were of the "unsaveable"caliber, and I think he did the best he could. Until Narazaki returns from his injury, Kawashima has certainly established himself as the clear backup, and could challenge the starter if Narazaki has rust.

2. Side back depth - Yuichi Komano has looked good at every opportunity given to him. Yuto Nagatomo and Atsuto Uchida are the two usual suspects on the starting eleven, but Komano has worked himself into that discussion. Nagatomo and Uchida are both good attacking players, and net regularly, but have lagged on defense at times. Komano will find chances to cross from the flank but will be reluctant to make his way into the box and crack a shot. Still, he looks more comfortable defending than the other two players. Stamina-wise, I would probably give the edge to Nagatomo, as he is probably the most fit of any on Japan's side and is running all over the pitch. Take your pick, depending on what Okada's strategy is for each match, we should see some for of combination between the three.

Yasuyuki Konno should never start.

3. Daiki Iwamasa - He makes his debut and in arguably the toughest position in international football, plays admirably. Sure, he made a few mistakes here and there, but Tulio and Nakazawa are prone to making errors. I don't think Iwamasa played well enough to unseat the twin towers, but its good to know that we have somebody capable on the bench.

4. The Shining - I have a number of nicknames for my favorite Japan player (yes, after only one national match), that include: "The Future", "The Big Bald Wolf", "Mr. Conehead", "Cueball", "The Good the Bald and the Ugly," the list goes on and you get the picture. But I think my new favorite nickname for Takayuki Morimoto is "The Shining," based on how well the light shines off his ginormous bald head and sparkling braces, but also on his supernatural ability to score goals and see dead people.

Honestly though, after only less than a 1/2 of match time, its clear that Morimoto adds a completely new element to Japan's game and should be a no-brainer starter. Coupled with the cool finishing of Shinji Okazaki, we could be in for a very exciting WC showing and beyond.

5. Please the 4-4-2 - Okada likes to play around with the 4-5-1 formation. I'm fine with that really, if you have a Luca Toni on your team that can scare the Jesus out of opposing players with his presence and mob connections. Sadly, Japan does not have a striker of that stature that can play alone up top. Also, why does Okada play a 5 midfield formation then throw in a striker as the 5th midfielder? It makes no sense. If you are going to start the match with two strikers on the pitch, let them both play in the striker position. Clearly, Japan has looked much better with a 4-4-2, and once the Shinji Morimoto - Takayuki Okazaki tag team gets going we should stop experimenting and start polishing.

6. Who should take the set pieces? - Obviously S. Naka right? I'm not so sure. With Shunsuke out, Honda took the left-footed free-kicks and didn't look so bad. Endo should definitely have teh right-footed role over Kengo Nakamura, but what if the free-kick chance falls in the center of the pitch? I'd like to see S. Naka, Honda, and Endo keep the opposing teams off balance by mixing it up a bit, and maybe throwing in a few feints here and there.

Naohiro Ishikawa gets a rare start and makes the best of it by winning the "jumping in the air and looking cool" picture of the day

Watch the match highlights here. And as always, e-mail me your opinions or write comments below. Cheers and Go Nippon.

Japan Versus Scotland Preview

Don't you just hate it when you order your favorite pizza (mine is: italian sausage, onion, green peppers, spinach, roma tomatoes, and basil) and the pizza delivery guy shows up at your door with an extra anchovy abomination? Well, that's how Japan coach, Takeshi Okada, feels about tomorrow's friendly versus Scotland.

Scotland will play tomorrow with a fraction of the first team originally announced before their Japan arrival. Okada and the JFA were expecting Scotland to bring their very best, including Darren Fletcher of Manchester United, Alan Hutton of Tottenham Hotspur, and many Celtic and Rangers standouts. As of now, I believe 10 out of the original squad have dropped out due to varying excuses.

I understand Okada's frustration as he had prepped his taste buds and practiced his digestive system in anticipation for Scottish pizza. He issued angry remarks to which Scottish coach was forced to embarrassingly issue a formal apology.

Still, this upcoming match against a Scottish B side could afford a good opportunity for Japan's fringe players to get a start and display their promise. Okada has already declared that the players who played 90 minutes against Hong Kong will sit. Which rules out another Scottish sensation in Shunsuke Nakamura.

I decided to leave out my "What to Look for" section as I don't have a clue who will play for Scotland, and can really only tell fans of Japan to watch for Morimoto who will surely make his debut (how many times have I said that) and also to see who Okada plays at Center Back, as Tulio and Nakazawa have been holding down the fort for quite awhile. If i had to make a guess, I would say that the starting eleven for Japan may look like...

Kawashima

Uchida ------ Iwamasa ------ Abe ------ Konno

Hashimoto ------ Inamoto
Honda ------ K. Nakamura

Morimoto ------ Sato

Obviously, I've been wrong before, so don't send me death threats if Okada plays a completely different side.

My Prediction:

It seems like many of Scotland's side will be first timers. That doesn't bode well against an irate Okada playing at home, the giant bald conehead of Morimoto, and classy Japan regluars in Inamoto, K. Naka, and Honda. Expect Japan to play very agressive. Honda, Morimoto, and Kengo all score.

Angry Japan 3 - Scotland B team 0

Okazaki hat trick, Japan Rout Hong Kong 6-0

If you google search Okazaki, one of the first search results will be on Okazaki fragments. As a former Biology student, I know a little bit about Okazaki fragments and can tell you that an Okazaki fragment is the "slower replicating" or "lagging" half of a DNA strand during DNA replication.

Well, there was nothing lagging about a different Okazaki earlier today. Shinji Okazaki, striker for team Japan, came through with a hat trick against outgunned opponent Hong Kong. Okazaki's hat trick was his first for the national squad, and the 23 year old now has 11 goals in 17 caps, the best strike rate on the current team with 65% goal efficiency. Okazaki has been a breath of fresh air for a team that has notoriously struggled with finishing, and he put on a clinic today.

Shinji started off the scoring with a cooly taken shot from just inside the box into the bottom left corner of the net at the 17th minute. He would later score the last two goals in the 75th and 78th on a header and one touch deflection to complete the other half of the book end. The other 3 goals for Japan came from 3 different defenders: side-back Yuto Nagatomo with a whizzing bullet in the 28th, a header by CB Yuji Nakazawa in 51, and a goal off a corner kick by CB Tulio Tanaka in 67. The 3 goals by defenders attests to Japan's attacking style of football, and shows how effective the game plan can be when executed well against weaker opponents. In the past, the style of play has back fired when the defenders push up too much and expose gaps in defense.

If you didn't see this match, and just saw the score sheet, you could go ahead and assume that it was a class ass whooping; it was, but it also could have been much worse for Hong Kong. I don't know if Japan has ever beaten another national squad by a 6 goal margin, I'll have to check on that, but there were so many missed opportunities for easy goals, including a missed shot by Okubo from a meter away, that suggest Japan could still use some work. If everyone on the team could finish like Shinji Okazaki did today, we could have beaten HK by the mercy rule and gone home at half time. Yes, it was that bad.

The biggest disappointment in the match was not seeing a giant bald head running around the pitch. Today's match was supposed to be the unveiling of Takayuki Morimoto, but he was not even to be found on the bench. Also, Honda never entered the match and thus never took a pass from Shunsuke Nakamura and vice versa. What I'm trying to say here, is that everything that I told you to look for in my earlier post was a flat out lie. I'll admit my mistake there, but will continue to make predictions because its fun to write and hopefully fun to read.

Its tough getting into Takeshi Okada's head, but if I had to guess why there was an absence of a few of his key players, I would say that he planned on playing 1/2 of his regulars today, and the other half against the Scotland friendly in two days. This strategy allows for Okada to experiment with fringe players, while still being able to play strong sides on both days without sending out an entirely depleted starting eleven against Scotland.

All in all, great game for Japan today; it was really good to see Japan's game plan in full effect, but again I don't think we can use this game as a measure for success in the World Cup as every team will clearly be

Japan Versus Hong Kong Tomorrow

(above) Typhoon Melor and her buddy Parma threaten Japan's chances of playing... at least in Shizuoka. Can anyone say DOME

The Blue Samurai continue their AFC 2011 campaign tomorrow by facing off against an entirely domestic Hong Kong squad. While seemingly a "walk-over" team, Japan has struggled in recent matches against "weaker" opponents, most notably losing to Bahrain 1-0 in the last AFC Qualification match back in January. Japan should be coming into the game full of swagger, however, after their latest dramatic comeback win against Ghana.

Things to Look for:
Keisuke Honda and Shunsuke Nakamura "Getting Along"

Takeshi Okada has announced that he would like to experiment with using both the young Honda and veteran Nakamura simultaneously. Both are considered to be of the "playmaker" breed, but rarely share time on the pitch as they both play the same position on the right side of midfield. When they have both played, the Japanese media has been quick to point out a "difference of opinion" between the two players that began in a friendly match against the Netherlands last month. Apparently, Keisuke asked Nakamura if he could take a shooting range free-kick that was awarded to Japan right outside the box. Keisuke Honda is the specialist for Eredivisie club VVV-Venlo and has shown an impressive ability on the dead ball. Still, everyone who follows Japanese football knows that the dead ball taker on Japan is Shunsuke Nakamura, the man who "could open a can of beans with his left leg." (Note: Sometimes Endo gets a chance too) The play resulted with Naka taking the shot, and nearly scoring before the Dutch keeper cleverly punched the ball away. For the remainder of the match, Honda's body language suggested disinterest and he lacked the usual intensity that we have come to expect.

After the match, Nakamura told the media that Keisuke Honda has not "found his place" on the team yet, and hinted that Honda should put the interests of Japan over the interests of Keisuke Honda. What will be interesting about tomorrow's match will be seeing if the two playmakers have reconciled, and if Okada proves true on his hint that both Honda and Naka will start together. If a free-kick opportunity arises, look to see who hovers over the ball, and for those of you who can read lips in Japanese, what is being said between the players. Early on in the match, I suspect Naka will assume his normal role as the hit man, but if Japan take an early lead, and are awarded a late free-kick opportunity late in the match, I wouldn't be surprised if Honda is given a chance to prove his mettle.

Besides free-kick opportunities, watch for any link up play or lack thereof between the two players. Japan's 4-4-2 formation relies heavily on the front two midfielders providing scoring chances; stacking up goals against an easier opponent like Hong Kong may be the perfect fix to the Honda/Naka marriage.

Takayuki Morimoto's Debut

Finally, the nation of Japan will witness the unveiling of its new and not so secret weapon. Heralded as the next big thing in Serie A, Takayuki Morimoto, the 21 year old striker for Calcio Catania, will take to the pitch wearing the senior national jersey for the first time. We gush over this kid on this blog, and have nothing but great expectations for him. I am assuming that Okada wants to test out his new toy just as much as we want to see him, so a starting spot alongside Shinji Okazaki will be very likely.

While Taka "the Future" Morimoto has performed admirably for his Italian club, I am anxious to see how much better he will be for Japan. You read that correctly. He will perform better. The reason being is that communication is one of the most important aspects of team play. Nothing against Mori's Italian, but for a Japanese player to communicate with his European teammates with nothing being lost in translation seems almost impossible. Its like expecting the foreign exchange student to do just as well in school as the rest of us. Yeah some critics will suggest that he hasn't had time to "gel" with his teammates or learn Okada's system in depth. I say just look at the size of his enormous bald head and imagine the size of his gargantuan brain on the inside. I'm sure he has learned everyone's name by name and what does he need to known about Okada's game plan but to score goals? Look to see a very comfortable and effective Morimoto.

Typhoon Melor

A powerful typhoon is currently ripping through Japan and has left at least one person dead. How will the affect the match? Well, JFA officials are saying that a change of location or dare I say cancellation may be necessary. No word yet as to where or when the match will take place if not in Shizuoka tomorrow afternoon. If they do play in Shizuoka, the pitch conditions will surely have an impact on the game. No broken ankles please.
Team Hong Kong to Give Japan trouble

Okay this last one was a joke, Japan will steamroll them.

Okada's Squad:

GK: Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Kaito Yamamoto (Shimizu S-Pulse), Shusaku Nishikawa (Oita Trinita)

DF: Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Yuhei Tokunaga (FC Tokyo), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Keisuke Iwashita (Shimizu S-Pulse), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

MF: Shunsuke Nakamura (ECD Espanyol), Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba Osaka), Junichi Inamoto (Rennes), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble), Naohiro Ishikawa (FC Tokyo), Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (VVV Venlo)

FW: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Hisato Sato (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

Kawashima


Uchida --- --- Nakazawa --- --- Tulio --- --- Nagatomo


Hasebe --- --- Endo

Honda --- --- Nakamura


Morimoto --- --- Okazaki

Expect Japan to play a starting eleven similar to the one above. Okada may decide to give some of his more unproven players a chance, or to experiment with proven starters like Matsui or Inamoto. However, Okada did name his best team, so I see no reason why he wouldn't play his best team. If Japan take an early lead, all substitutions are likely to be used with some coming as early as the half.

My Prediction:
Morimoto and Okazaki both net. One more goal comes from a set-piece that finds the head of Tulio. Hasebe grabs a garbage goal at the end when Hong Kong sends every man forward.

Japan 4 - Hong Kong 1

Impressive Week in Europe

The Blue Samurai have represented well in Europe this week. 5 days ago, Keisuke Honda got a brace for club side VVV-Venlo in a 3-0 win over ADO in a KNVB Cup match. Honda found the bottom right corner of ADO's goal twice; the first, coming from short distance where he was found unmarked directly in front of goal. The second goal began with a solo run from mid-field after easily stealing the ball from a slipping ADO player. Honda delivered the shot from the edge of the box and found paydirt. Premier League club Everton has just joined the list of clubs scouting Honda for a move in the January transfer window.

Catania drew with Roma this weekend and Takayuki Morimoto continued his impressive start to the 09/10 season by netting the lone goal for Catania in an easy "put away shot" off of a deflection from the left post.

Makoto Hasebe (above) played well for Vfl Wolfsburg in today's Champions League clash with Manchester United. Wolfsburg lost the match 2-1, but remain in good position to qualify to the next round.

Transfer Talk

Well I haven’t posted anything in awhile. For this, there are two main reasons. The first being that I’ve been busy (or lazy) and have honestly been neglecting my blogging responsibilities. I know, shame on me. The second reason is that there hasn’t been much to post about. Okay, I know that’s a lame excuse. There is always something to write about. Player profiles, club match results, world cup predictions; these are all things that I could have been writing about and I will admit that the first reason has much more substantial weight than the second. That being said, I do have another nine months to examine the depths of every orifice (too much?) of the players that will make up the Nihon Daihyo, and besides a few assists by Honda, Inamoto, and Morimoto; and a lone goal by Morimoto, not a whole lot has been happening on the international club scene for the Japanese players.

Which brings us to Transfer News.

This blog might as well be entitled the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to Stalking Keisuke Honda and Takayuki Morimoto for Dummies.” No matter what I’m writing about, these two names seem to find their way on the page. And surprise, they’re back.

Honda, in a seemingly prima donna fashion, has announced his desire to leave his current club, VVV-Venlo, and transfer to the more “worthy” PSV Eindhoven. When the January transfer season opens up, he will most likely be granted his wish as PSV has reciprocally declared their interest in him. VVV-Venlo were originally reluctant to release Honda and asked for an exorbitant transfer fee of €10 million. The interested parties were quick to denounce the unrealistic ticket price and Honda remained on Venlo. However, recent rumors suggest a change of heart by club management on the insistence of Honda, and a transfer certainly looks likely.

Honda’s decision to single out PSV above all other suitors, including a few powerhouses of the Premier League came as a bit of a surprise for me. For starters, his announcement that he wished to leave came before any final transfer decision was set, and being that he is the captain and star of Venlo, I can't imagine that this had nothing less a bombshell impact on team morale. I mean, what kind of team captain openly talks about his wish to leave his current team, and then expects to lead them for half the season? A prima donna. Also, Honda's decision to remain in the Eredivisie over more lucrative leagues seems in contrast to his ambitious personality. I suppose this could pan out well, as PSV is always in contention for UEFA Cup if not Champions' League status. He will easily earn a spot on the first team and will probably develop steadily until he transfers to a larger club after a few years experience. Still, a part of me wonders if taking a chance to play for Liverpool or Chelsea, and working hard for the reserves in order to grab a bench spot for the first team would be a more beneficial and humbling experience for a player with a lot of promise but still much to learn.

Forward Takayuki Morimoto has been linked to many large clubs in the past, but this season will be his last for Calcio Catania. The club general manager, Pietro Lo Monaco, has already made it clear that he plans on cashing in on Morimoto next summer. Morimoto has grown up a lot since his move from the J. League three years ago, and has won over fans and critics of the Serie A by proving his mettle against some of the world's best defensive teams and players. Think of this season as a “tryout” for the big clubs who will be calling his name next year. Of these clubs that are actively scouting him, the biggest behemoth of all, Manchester United, have already voiced their opinion of Mori. Sir Alex Ferguson, Coach of ManU, has his sights set to bring him to England. While, I am obviously excited for the promise of Morimoto, I can't help but feel weary about a move to the world's top club. Facing such severe competition at a young age, he will struggle to win a handful of caps for United. Such adversity could prove disheartening and impeded his development. Mori is good enough to start for most teams in the world and a move to a high-profile club in a high profile league is certainly deserving of his talent. But the world's best? This may be a leap too large for the youngster. I believe that one shouldn't try to jump the river. You end up soaked and sinking. A stepping stone or two is the wise decision and at such a young age, there isn't any hurry. He'll get to the top eventually.

Finally, we have some fresh news as well. Yuto Nagatomo (above), a 23 year old side back for FC Tokyo, has been linked to Celtic. He has featured for the national team in recent World Cup warm ups and has looked impressive for the most part. While I am always supportive of a players moving out of Japan to join the international football community, I am reluctant to fully endorse this transfer just because of the club. Celtic, after losing Shunsuke Nakamura to Espanyol, have been furiously searching for an Asian commercial replacement, and have already signed Zheng Zhi from China and Ki Sung-Yong from South Korea. Zhi and Sung-Yong will join Japanese winger Koki Mizuno to make up the Asian contingent at the Parkhead club. Mizuno, who joined Celtic at the beginning of last year, was once thought to be Naka's replacement both commercially and performance-wise. However, whether Mizuno was really a part of the club's long term plan or just a shirt selling ploy in Asian markets has been a topic of debate among Celtic fans. Appearing only a few times last season, his chances for making a mark on the first team seems doubtful, and a change in coach from Gordon Strachan to Tony Mowbray in the offseason has further limited Koki's potential to make an impact. While I think that Nagatomo has the talent to succeed in Europe, Celtic may be trying to buy another marketing tool and fear that he may face the same fate as his compatriot, Mizuno.

Japan 4 - Ghana 3

My first question for you, reader, is did you watch the match? If the answer is no, understand that I lack the linguistic capabilities to accurately describe this match to you; so I apologize. Looking at the 4-3 scoreline does not do the match justice. If the answer is yes, bear with me, and see if we are on a similar train of thought.

While watching this match, I vacillated considerably on what I would write this blog post about. It seemed that every 5 minutes something new would occur to give reason for jeering, then 5 minutes later: cheering. I had multiple heart attacks and opted not to go to the hospital because I wanted to finish watching till the end. I've gone temporarily mute from screaming so loudly and I think my brain exploded all over the wall. I reminded myself of the absurd studio audiences at those awful daytime TV shows (Ricky Lake, Jerry Springer). One moment they're dramatically crying over the reunion of an estranged mother and daughter. The next moment they're throwing tomatoes when its revealed that the daughter is really a man; and that the mother is really a human-alien hybrid. Honestly, those shows are whack. Anyway, that was me. Crying, throwing tomatoes, and suspecting Kengo Nakamura is really a human-alien hybrid. But I diverge...

The first goal fell Ghana's way by an "in-the-box" hand ball by Yuto Nagatomo in the 29th minute. Nagatomo, attempting to defend a corner kick brought his right hand up and swatted the ball away. Nagatomo was given a yellow card, and striker Asamoah Gyan (left) easily netted the PK to set the scoreline 1-0. I despise goals like this because conceding a PK is giving a gift-wrapped goal. The hand ball looked to be inadvertent and off a corner kick that probably would not have netted. This was a huge mistake by Nagatomo, and let me tell you there was a tomato smashed where his head was on my screen. They then showed an entire section of Japanese kids with such desolate expressions on their faces that you would have thought the Grinch had stolen 1,000 Christmases. That was the best part of the entire match; seeing those kids faces, hilarious.

A few minutes later, Gyan got his brace after a long punt from the goal box by Ghana keeper Richard Kingson! The Japanese defense was nowhere to be found with the exception of captain Yuji Nakazawa and keeper Ryota Tsuzuki. "Ownage" was the term that came to mind when Gyan adeptly received the ball, turned on Nakazawa, and fired past a bewildered Tsuzuki. 2-0 Ghana. The broadcast then showed Nakazawa's expression; one of complete despair like his puppy just got flattened by a construction vehicle. He deserved it.

Then the second half began, and things brightened when Kengo Nakamura (bottom) took a deflected cross off his left foot and put one past the hands of Kingson in the 52nd minute. I felt a bit of hope, and they showed the kids again. This time on their feet cheering.
In the 65th minute, lightning struck again. Midfielder Sulley Muntari played a long ball, this time to Matthew Amoah who strides beyond the defense, expertly outmaneuvered an out-of-place Tsuzuki and restored the 2 goal lead. At this point, Niagara Falls was coming out of my eyes and I cursed the soccer Gods for humiliating my team like this. Considering shutting off the broadcast, I decided to persevere, and was greatly rewarded.

3 substitutes were on the sideline for Japan. Striker Keiji Tamada and Midfielders Junichi Inamoto and Keisuke Honda. Out came an exhausted Shunsuke Nakamura, a worn Makoto Hasebe and an ineffective Ryoichi Maeda. Team Japan had a new look and the game changed completely hereafter.

In minute 77, the Black Stars gave up the ball deep in their 1/3 of the pitch. Nagatomo found an open Tamada and Tamada delivered to put Japan within a goal of equalizing. Momentum changed, and you could see a new look of confidence and rejuvenation in the eyes of Japan. 2 minutes later, Inamoto had open space on the left side. Looking towards goal, he placed a picturesque cross to Striker Shinji Okazaki, who made his run perfectly and headed right over the keeper. Equalizer. Redemption. Honestly, the goal was brilliant and one I could watch over and over again.

Then, with just minutes left to play, Nagatomo maneuvered his way past several defenders on the left side. Open wide on the right was Keisuke Honda, and closer still was Inamoto. Nagatomo selected Inamoto and it payed off. He slotted just out of reach of the keeper and into the bottom near post. 4-3 Japan won. Unreal.

If there was anything certain about this match, it was that there are many things uncertain about team Japan. Many questions raced through my mind and I will throw them at you. On 09/09/09 I find it only appropriate to pitch 9 questions that occurred to me today. If you think you have answers for any of them. Leave a comment/send me an e-mail. I'd love to here your opinions.

1. Is Japan as fast as I think/hope they are?

Ghana looked really fast and Japan looked stunned, unable to adjust. While Japan controlled most of the game with its normal possession passing build-up game, Ghana capitalized on the strikers physical ability to cherry pick our defense. So many times Sulley Muntari would long pass from the midfield into the striding attacker blowing past our defense. Which brings me to my next question.

2. Where is our defense?

Usually, Nakazawa and Tulio Tanaka are so steady in our back-line. Where have they been? Our defense looks so disorganized and out of place its infuriating for a disciplined team like Japan to look so sloppy. In two matches we have given up 6 goals! Its almost as if the two center backs are playing elsewhere on the field...

3. Can Tulio Tanaka play striker?

Tulio pressed up several times in attack this match. On one attack, he very cleverly one touch back heel passed to an open Yasuhito Endo in the box. Endo missed but the pass was class. Tulio later had one of the best rips in the game, a pure bullet that was well saved by the Ghana Keeper. We already know that with his height and air ability, he can score many goals from set pieces. If Japan can find a defensive replacement, I would like to see Tulio up front as an experiment.

4. What is with Yuto Nagatomo?

Is he good or bad? Can he be both? He looked dreadful for most of the game, giving up a goal with the hand ball and never to be seen on defense. Then, late in the game, he redeems himself but setting up two goals. Whats with this kid?

5. Who are our best side backs?

I just talked about Nagatomo. Yuichi Komano filled in for Atsuto Uchida today and looked decent. But Uchida usually puts in strong performances as well, and is integral to our wing attack. Uchida and Komano usually play on the right side with Nagatomo to the left. Maybe we can mix it up a bit?

6. Does the team need Shunsuke Nakamura?

Shunsuke doesn't look bad, but do we need him? When he does play, he commands a presence on the pitch and is fun to watch. However, he did miss a wide open shot today, and it was only after he came off the pitch did we score 3 goals. I'm not saying we can him, but if other players can step up should Nakamura be a guranteed start?

7. Has Junichi Inamoto been reborn?

Boy was I happy to see Inamoto on the sideline today. Kudos to Okada for giving him another shot to make the team. I am quite the enthusiast for playing European based players as you know. My reasoning comes from a belief that players who participate on the global stage not only improve skill-wise, but also gain great confidence. Naka, Hasebe, Inamoto, Matsui, and Honda all have a different look from the other players. They look more comfortable on the ball, tackling, and willing to shoot. Junichi made a strong case today by scoring one and assisting one. Good to see you back, man-of-the match.

8. Could we beat teams like Ghana consistently?

Ghana is not a bad team. They are also not a great team. The Nihon Daihyo scored 4 goals and beat them, but we did not play particularly well. What does this mean? You tell me.

9. Okazaki and Tamada can play striker, who else?

Lets face it. If Maeda and Koroki are our 2 best substitutes than we have serious problems with striking depth. But we haven't seen the debut of Takayuki Morimoto yet. Ha, did you think I could write a blog without mentioning "the future?" Not a chance.

Man of the Match:

Junichi Inamoto (right) - He played less than 1/2 the game but what an impact he had. He set up Okazaki with a brilliant cross to get the equalizer, then coolly slotted home to get the win. Well done.

Pre-Match: Japan Faces Ghana Tomorrow

Japan looks for redemption tomorrow against a confident team from Ghana. The Ghana Black Stars have become the first team from the African Nations to qualify for the 2010 World Cup by beating Sudan 2-0 this past weekend. So who prevails? In the Blue corner we have a team who just suffered a 3-0 heartbreaker; motivated by the need to prove themselves and not wanting to return home empty handed after a grueling week. In the Black corner we have a team riding the hangover of success; brimming with confidence and with the hard work of the WCQ out of the way, ready for play time in a meaningless international friendly.

Look for Japan to play a similar tactical game as they did against the Netherlands. A standard 4-4-2 if Tamada gets the start as striker, a 4-2-3-1 if Honda replaces Tamada as he did in the Netherlands clash with Honda filling in as the extra midfielder. Ghana played a 4-4-1-1 formation against Sudan with captain Stephen Appiah playing shadow striker behind Matthew Amoah.

Ghana is an extremely potent team currently ranked #32 on the FIFA World Rankings. In the 2006 World Cup, they were eliminated by Brazil in the Round of 16, but not before defeating both the USA and Czech Republic 2-0. The Black Stars squad showcase members of many European, African, and Asian clubs, with the most notable being Michael Essein of Chelsea, and Sulley Muntari of Inter. Appiah is currently unaffiliated with any club.

Ghana's strengths are exceptional speed and Michael Essien (right). Japan are not without quickness, of course, but if they cannot contain Ghana on counter attacks and wing play, this could be a rout.

Goalkeepers:

Richard Kingson ( Wigan Athletic)

George Owu (Al Masry)

William Amamoo (Vassalund)

Defenders:

John Paintsil (Fulham)

Samuel Inkoom (Basel FC)

Harrison Afful (Asante Kotoko)

John Mensah (Lyon)

Eric Addo (Roda JC)

Isaac Vorsah (Hoffeinham)

Midfielders:

Stephen Appiah (Unattached)

Michael Essien (Chelsea)

Anthony Annan (Rosenborg)

Sulley Muntari (Inter Milan)

Laryea Kingston (Hearts)

Opoku Agyemang (Al Sadd)

Haminu Draman (Russia)

Strikers:

Asamoah Gyan (Rennes)

Matthew Amoah (NAC Breda)

Prince Tagoe (Hoffeinham)

Junior Agogo(Apollon Limassol)

Things to Look For:

Michael Essien - Essien will clearly be the most accomplished and talented player on the pitch. All attacking play for Ghana generally begins with Essien and often ends with it. Look for Japan to mark him closely, and for Essien to take advantage of any defensive slip-ups.

Tulio Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa versus Matthew Amoah- The two towers for Japan were hit by a catapult in the last half hour against the Dutch. They looked disorganized, out of breath, and just awful. Amoah, a cheetah on the pitch, could give these two a nightmarish day.

Shinji Okazaki (left)- Coming into the Netherlands match, Okazaki sported an impressive 0.5 strike rate for Japan with 7 goals in 14 matches. After the Netherlands match he fell to 7/15 which means that he's due.

My Prediction:

Japan's abysmal display on Saturday was disheartening -hence the depressing tone of this blog. Still, keeping in mind that they were able to hold the World #3 Oranje to a 0-0 draw for 2/3 of the match deserves some credit. I think that Japan gets a lucky one from a set piece, and Ghana grabs one on a speedy counter attack.

Japan 1 - Ghana 1

Netherlands 3 - Japan 0

They say that football is a game of two halves. For Japan, you could that its a game of thirds. Once again, in a match that Japan mainly controlled for the first hour of play, conceded 3 goals in the last half hour.

If anyone recorded the match to view later, go ahead and fast forward to the 62nd minute and start watching from there. To sum up the first hour, Japan looked like the stronger, fitter team, and kept the FIFA Ranked #3 Oranje on their toes with fast, fluid, attacking play. Still, Japan lacked the cutting edge and never really tested the Dutch keepers Michel Vorm and substitute Piet Velthuizen. The Oranje fans, losing interest and wet from torrential rain, began filing out of Arke Stadium, and by the first hour the stadium was half-full (or half-empty for you pessimists out there). For me, I just had this feeling that the outcome couldn't end 0-0, and that the Dutch monster was just waiting for a jolt of electricity to come alive.

So fast forward to minute 62. A foul on the outskirts of the Ducth box left Japan to ponder who the free-kick taker would be. My heart was pumping as Yasuhito Endo, Keisuke Honda, and Shunsuke Nakamura stood over the ball. Not many teams are as blessed as Japan in having 3 prolific dead ball goal scorers. The way in which the 3 hovered made me suspect that they would try a couple fake run-overs. Who would take it? The players themselves couldn't decide and Nakamura was handed a yellow card for delaying.

When play finally resumed, I suppose there never was much question as to who the taker would be. Nakamura is one of the best free-kick takers in the world, and Japan is Naka's team. In trademark Naka fashion, the kick took a wicked curl around the wall and was headed for net before Velthuizen made a magnificent diving save to push the ball wide. That was the closest Japan would come to putting a point on the board.

3 Minutes later, a dangerous incident occurred when Kengo Nakamura went flying into Velthuizen legs during a back-pass to the keeper. Velthuizen successfully cleared the ball and a full second later Kengo slid into his legs. While I commend Kengo's hustle, and he did play well, make no mistake, the slide tackle on the keeper was entirely unnecessary and dangerous; during a friendly a play like that is inexcusable. To Kengo's credit, he did walk back and apologize, clearly remorseful for the bad tackle.

After that, the remainder of the match was all about Oranje. In the 67th, Tulio cleverly stole a pass and with space and options, attempted to change sides by crossing across pitch. Epic Fail as the ball was easily stolen back and no Blue player was within 15 meters of the ball. This set up Eljero Elia on the left side, and with a nice cut back towards center, launched a bullet at Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima. I cursed Tulio for his poor decision making, but lauded Kawashima for a brilliant acrobatic save to push the ball over.

On the ensuing corner, after bouncing around the box, Elia was able to find Robin Van Persie right in front of goal; who took the ball off his chest and smashed it in to put the first goal on the board.

5 minutes later, in the 72nd, Wesley Sneijder grabbed the goal of the match by threading a needle between Yuto Nagatomo and Yuki Nakazawa from a meter out of the box. The ball bent beautifully into the top right corner of the goal and Kawashima was helpless. It was the type of shot that no goalie in the world has a chance to save; absolute class.

In the 86th minute, Elia fired a cross toward the far post and found the right boot of Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. The one-touch shot bounced straight into the back of the net. 3-0 Netherlands. Game over man, game over.

This match showcased everything strong and everything weak about Japan's style of play. The passing and midfield control were beautiful to watch, and I was reminded why I'm such a fan of team Japan. Every time Japan receives the ball I just think something good can happen until the last pass fails to connect. The build-up play and work rate is so entertaining from a spectator perspective, but also so frustrating that the only pass they fail to complete is the one in front of goal. The strikers looked as impotent as a WWI vet, and never threatened. The beginning 2/3 of the match I couldn't help but think that the scoreline could have been different if Takayuki Morimoto were in the game. I know I say this in every post, but we need Takayuki Morimoto.

One thing that I would like to see on Wednesday's match against Ghana: more shooting from the midfield. If our strikers can't score on talent alone, perhaps they need a lucky deflection to put away a rubbish goal. A pretty goal is worth just as much as an ugly one. Our midfielders are no strangers to scoring and can find openings from outside the box. Shoot more. Please. Just give it a try, and see what happens.

Man of the Match:

Eljero Elia (Netherlands) - Coming in for Arjen Robben at the half, Elia made his debut for the national team one to remember. He was a tear on the left flank; constantly finding open space in the defense, he was able to assist 2 goals and took a couple rips of his own. Watch out for this kid to make an impact in South Africa.

Japan's Player of the Match:
Kengo Nakamura - Playing the full 90 minutes, K. Naka looked the most match fit in a very active midfield. Besides the silly yellow card, Kengo did not make many mistakes, and ran hard all over the pitch.