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.

Takayuki Morimoto Won't Play

All over Japan, millions of people are shedding tears over their tatami mats. No, the tuna (maguro) population has not become extinct. Thank goodness, I mean could you imagine? But Calcio Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto has pulled out of this weekend's friendly against the Netherlands and the Sept. 9 match against Ghana.

Morimoto has been billed by this blogger as "The Future," and was set to make his senior squad debut. It is my opinion, and that of other many other football fans, that Morimoto far exceeds any other Japanese striking talent. If football prowess were based on distance from my house, Morimoto would represent Pluto, and all other Japanese strikers would be McDonalds, Walmart, and doghouse in my backyard. Okay, my apologies to Shinji Okazaki. Okazaki can be the IKEA, thats just too far to make a regular visit, but when I do, oh man it's exciting.

Morimoto suffered a left thigh injury in his latest club match against Sampdoria. That match served as a paragon of Morimoto's young career. By scoring the lone goal, he showed off his great skill and potential, but by suffering the injury, has also displayed his greatest detriment; the concern over his inability to remain healthy over a prolonged period of time.

His injury, while terribly disheartening to the Blue Samurai fans, could be an opportunity for coach Okada to try new tactics. Personally, it is my belief that football managers should focus on playing the best available players as opposed to working around set formations. With Morimoto ruled out, Okada will most likely play Okazaki and Keiji Tamada of Nagoya Grampus up- front in his favored 4-4-2.

I suggest a 4-5-1 formation that allows Japan to play all 5 of their star midfielders with Okazaki playing the lone striker role. The 4-2-3-1 , while seemingly more defensive than the 2 strikers allocated in 4-4-2, may actually prove to better highlight Japan's strengths. In the 4-3-2-1, Japan's midfielders would have more freedom to step up in the attack if the opportunity presented itself, while being able to rely on the additional midfielder to fill the defensive hole. My formation would resemble:

Tsuzuki

Uchida - Tulio - Nakazawa- Nagatomo

Hasebe - Endo

Honda - K. Nakamura - S. Nakamura

Okazaki

Well, regardless of how everything plays out, Morimoto's loss will be heavily felt and drains much of the excitement in the build up to this big friendly. We wish him a speedy recovery and hope he'll be with us for Scotland on Oct. 10.

Now its dinner time: mmmm tuna.

Pre-Match Analysis: Japan Blue Samurai Versus the Netherland Oranje

This Saturday Japan faces a Dutch monster. The last time Japan stood against such an up-hill battle, two key Japanese defenders stepped up to save the day. With an ineffective game plan, Japan relied on the brilliance of Godzilla and Mothra to suppress an aggressive King Ghidorah. It will take a similar effort to hold down the Dutch.

Playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura has often suggested that Japan need to play (and perhaps lose to) more quality teams in order to progress in world football. Losing to international bottom feeders like Bahrain, and having been unseated by Australia as the best team in Asia have given Nakamura and the Blue Samurai something to prove; but as for the upcoming friendly against a very good Dutch side, Japan wins regardless of the match outcome.

Nakamura (right), having the distinction of being the only Japanese footballer to have scored in a European Champions League, knows better than most on his team about what it takes to succeed on an international level. For many of the domestic Japanese players, success in the rather low profile J. League and national victories against other Asian teams, may stifle growth rather than nurture it. Capitalism teaches us that competition is essential for progress and that complacency works against it. The same applies to sports. Without experience playing against the world's best, mediocre teams like Japan can never hope to match them. This explains the dominance (mostly) Japan have shown in Asian competition but disappointment in global platforms like the World Cup. I praise the JFA (Japan Football Association) for taking the initiative to establish a friendly against one of the world's best, and think that Saturday Sept 5, may be the most important day for team Japan since the 2006 World Cup.

Win or lose, Japan will gain invaluable experience, and fans will be delighted to see how Japan measures up against a true football powerhouse. I advise the Dutch faithful, however, to not take this match so lightly. While the Dutch squad may possess an abundance of talent on an individual basis; Japan's strength stems from a technically sound midfield, with great pace and teamwork all-around. If Japan can play the possession passing game that has flustered their Asian opponents, the Dutch may be in for a surprise.

Dutch coach, Bert van Marwijk, has named the following call ups for the friendly:

Goalie:
Maarten Stekelenburg (Ajax)
Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse)
Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht)

Defence:
Edson Braafheid (Bayern Munich)
Giovanni van Bronckhorst (Feyenoord)
John Heitinga (Atlético Madrid)
Glenn Loovens (Celtic)
Joris Mathijsen (Hamburger SV)
André Ooijer (PSV)*
Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax)

Midfield:
Nigel de Jong (Manchester City)
David Mendes da Silva (AZ)
Stijn Schaars (AZ)
Wesley Sneijder (Internazionale)
Rafael van der Vaart (Real Madrid)
Demy de Zeeuw (Ajax)

Attack:
Eljero Elia (Hamburger SV)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (AC Milan)
Dirk Kuijt (Liverpool)
Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich)
Ryan Babel (Liverpool)

*Ruled out due to injury; replacement has not been named

Key Things to Look For:

Winger Arjen Robben versus Side-back Atsuto Uchida

Assuming that Robben (right) and Uchida line up on the same side, this will surely be a fun duo to watch. While both players are young, Robben could fill the Titanic with world class experience and cruise through Uchida's raft. Robben has incredible pace, skill, and explosiveness that far exceeds anything that Uchida has ever played against. I'm thinking David versus Goliath here, but hey didn't David fall Goliath? Maybe Uchida has a surprise sling up his pants.

Midfielder Keisuke Honda versus Dutch Midfield

The Dutch may have the experience edge over Keisuke Honda, but nobody on either side of the pitch is hotter than Honda is now. Honda has scored 5 goals in the first 5 matches for his club VVV-Venlo, an impressive feat for a midfielder playing for a team in its first year in the top division. The Dutch players will be familiar with Honda, a rising star in the Eredivisie, but Honda will feel more at home than his teammates by playing in his club country. It will be interesting to see how the Dutch handles the young star and if Honda can continue his recent form on Dutch soil.

Strikers Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Dirk Kuijt, and Robin van Persie (left) versus keeper Ryota Tsuzuki

This does not fair well for the second string keeper Tsuzuki. Regardless of who starts for the Netherlands, Tsuzuki will have his hands full, and most likely his net, with cannon shots from these three Dutch. This could be a long day for the Japanese keeper.


Takayuki Morimoto

Will he play? Recent reports out of the Japan camp suggest that an undisclosed injury to his leg may keep him out of the Sept. 5 match. He flew out of the Netherlands to see an Italian doctor by request from his club, but has not yet revealed what, if anything is wrong. A big question mark here, and troubling news for Blue Samurai fans. I have long awaited the arrival of the Chosen One to lead Japan to attacking glory. If he plays, I anticipate (maybe wishful thinking) a strong performance. If not... well I'd rather not think of it.

My Prediction:

Keisuke Honda continues his net prowess and scores early for Japan. The Empire Strikes Back and Robin Van Persie nets twice for the Oranje. Wesley Snejder grabs one as well to kill what hope we have. If Takayuki Morimoto plays, he bags a late one.

Netherlands 3 - Japan 2

Tell me how you think it plays out by leaving a comment or shooting me an e-mail.
BTW - King Ghidorah (bottom) is a badass.