Okada Names Squad to Face Netherlands/Ghana

Japan coach, Takeshi Okada, has named the Blue Samurai squad that will face the Netherlands on Sept. 5 and Ghana on Sept. 9. The team looks like this:

Keepers:

Ryota Tsuzuki (Urawa Reds)

Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

Defenders:

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)

Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)

Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

Midfielders:

Shunsuke Nakamura (Espanyol)

Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba Osaka)

Junichi Inamoto (Rennes)

Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka)

Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale)

Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)

Keisuke Honda (VVV Venlo)

Forwards:

Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus)

Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe)

Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse)

Shinzo Koroki (Kashima Antlers)

Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

While the team remains similar to the squad he used during the World Cup Qualifiers, there are several key inclusions and extractions than what we have seen before. The most impactful change will come at the keeper position, where Ryota Tsuzuki (above) will fill in for an injured Seigo Narazaki. Narazaki has taken over the role as first-team keeper since the departure of long-time presence, Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. It would seem appropriate that Okada would reinstate Narazaki after his broken finger heals, and would use Narazaki as the primary keeper for the World Cup team. That being said, the upcoming matches against the Netherlands and Ghana are perhaps the toughest that Japan have faced in years, and could be the proving grounds for a younger Tsuzuki. Tsuzuki, while having far less international experience than Narazaki, is not entirely inept at his position, and has easily held the starting role for his club team, Urawa Reds, one of the best teams in the J. League. However, the pressure of facing J. League strikers in front of a mainly domestic audience and fighting off bullets from Dirk Kuyt and Robin Van Persie for the whole world to see are two different animals. Regardless, Tsuzuki’s keeper play, whether good or bad, will provide sound insight into the depth at the position. Who knows, a brilliant performance may even unseat Narazaki for the starting role.

The new inclusions in the squad are Serie A striker Takayuki Morimoto and France-based Junichi Inamoto (right). The call-up of Morimoto has been highly anticipated (see Player Profile: Takayuki Morimoto) and is unquestionably the most exciting new face Japan have seen in a long time. I can only hope that Morimoto shows the same class for Japan that Catania has come to expect from him. Inamoto, on the other hand, is no stranger to the national squad, but inconsistent club play has kept him out of the Blue Samurai in recent campaigns; good performance here could win him back into Okada’s good graces. Once touted as one of Japan’s most promising players, Inamoto made the move to Europe and joined Premier League side Arsenal in 2001. Failing to find a regular place on the first team, he then began a long career of bouncing around Europe, impressing in some areas, disappointing in others. His resume includes: Gamba Osaka, Arsenal, Fulham, West Bromwich Albion, Cardiff City, Galatasaray, Eintracht Frankfurt, and now finally in Rennes. Inamoto will be a wild-card in these next few games, and will most likely start on the bench as he is unproven compared to the other Japanese midfielders.

Other notable exclusions from the team are midfielders Daisuke Matsui of Grenoble and Shinji Ono of Vfl Bochum.

If I were coaching Japan, using the team that Okada has announced, I would play a 4-4-2 formation that would look like:

- - - - - - Morimoto- - - - Okazaki- - - - - - - - -

- Nakamura- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Honda-

- - - - - - - Endo- - - - - Hasebe - - - - - - - -

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

- - - - - - - - - - - - Tsuzuki - - - - - - - - - - - -

Okada will undoubtedly start: Tsuzuki, Nakazawa, Tulio, Endo, Hasebe (if he is healthy and match fit), Nakamura, and Okazaki

Komano and Konno are reliable defensive backups, but in recent showings Uchida and Nagatomo have displayed great pace and attacking mentality. While they are young, they have shown confidence in big matches. Giving them the opportunity to succeed now may set the groundwork for years of great play at sideback. Morimoto, while I think Okada will start Tamada or Okubo, is the best striker Japan has and should start (Again, see Player Profile: Takayuki Morimoto).

Starting Keisuke Honda (above) should be a no-brainer for Okada. Honda has been brilliant for his club side and has begun the season with 5 goals in 4 matches. Also, Honda’s familiarity with the Dutch (from playing in Eredivisie) can only prove as a tactful advantage. The only way I could see Okada displace Honda on the starting side is if he were to play Hashimoto alongside Hasebe and move Endo up with Nakamura:

- Nakamura- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Endo-

- - - - - - - Hashimoto- - - - - Hasebe - - - - - - - -

This formation, while still formidable, presents a more defensive look to the side than with the inclusion of Keisuke Honda.

Ultimately, it is up to Takeshi Okada to determine Japan’s tactics, but if you happen to read my blog, Okada-san, I hope you take my opinions into consideration. I am really excited to see how we fair against World Class talent. I’ll be posting a blog soon on a pre-game analysis between the Dutch side and Blue Samurai. From the looks of it, the Dutch have announced a side with all of their regulars intact. It should be a good one.