World Cup preview: Japan
Coach: Takeshi Okada
Key player: Keisuke Honda
Previous best: Second round 2002
Takeshi Okada was only joking, apparently, when he asked Japanese Football Association president Motoaki Inukai if he should resign following Japan’s pre-World Cup friendly defeat at the hands of South Korea.
In a bid to cover up his “half-serious” offer, he then reiterated his belief that his team could make the semi-finals in South Africa.
It’s not difficult to work out which statement was funnier.
Okada’s team has a “stupid mentality” according to Frenchman Philippe Troussier, who led Japan to the second round of their own World Cup in 2002.
“He wants to play like Spain or Brazil,” says Troussier. “You have to be careful, you have to think seriously how to change your philosophy at the highest level. Okada has confusion in his head.”
All of which points to team who don’t have much of a strategy, who don’t have a strong manager and who don’t stand a chance in a World Cup.
They qualified well, finishing just behind Australia in Group One of Asia/Oceania qualifying and only losing once, but beating Qatar and Uzbekistan is a bit easier than beating Cameroon, the Netherlands and Denmark at a World Cup, as the Japanese are about to find out.
They have gifted players, but they are all heading in one direction.
Ex-Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura – “he can play at Real Madrid or Barcelona” says Troussier – is a gifted attacker who is capable of the spectacular, but now 31, his heir apparent has been found in the form of 23-year-old Keisuke Honda.
After moving to the Dutch club VVV-Venlo as a youngster, where some impressive performances reportedly caught the Merseyside eyes of both Liverpool and Everton, Honda eventually moved on to CSKA Moscow for €6million earlier this year.
Quickly establishing himself in Russia, he scored the winner in a Champions League victory over Sevilla – becoming the first Japanese to score in the competition’s knockout stages, and the first to reach the quarter-finals in the process.
It’s tempting to say that he has a good engine, but in all honesty Honda’s workrate and energy levels will be vital for Japan in South Africa as they come up against stronger opponents who possess players with the ability to really hurt them.
Experienced skipper Yuji Nakazawa has over 100 caps, and will be vital at centre back for his country, and is also capable of popping up with the odd goal, as his three strikes during the qualification stages showed.
Ex-Arsenal, Fulham, West Brom and Cardiff City midfielder Junichi Inamoto is still going strong at the age of 30, while Catania’s young forward Takayuki Morimoto has been called the best young player in Serie A by none other than AC Milan’s Alexandre Pato.
It would be a huge shock if Japan didn’t repeat 2006’s showing of a group stage exit, and with little or no confidence in the team at home, that looks exactly like what’ll happen.
The other three teams in their group are simply stronger, which can only suggest one thing.
Okada might not even have to ask to resign this time.
Japan squad
1 Seigo NARAZAKI (Nagoya Grampus)
2 Yuki ABE (Urawa Red Diamonds)
3 Yūichi KOMANO (Jubilo Iwata)
4 Marcus Tulio TANAKA (Nagoya Grampus)
5 Yuto NAGATOMO (FC Tokyo)
6 Atsuto UCHIDA (Kashima Antlers)
7 Yasuhito ENDŌ (Gamba Osaka)
8 Daisuke MATSUI (Grenoble)
9 Shinji OKAZAKI (Shimizu S-Pulse)
10 Shunsuke NAKAMURA (Yokohama Marinos)
11 Keiji TAMADA (Nagoya Grampus)
12 Kisho YANO (Albirex Niigata)
13 Daiki IWAMASA (Kashima Antlers)
14 Kengo NAKAMURA (Kawasaki Frontale)
15 Yasuyuki KONNO (FC Tokyo)
16 Yasuhito OKUBO (Vissel Kobe)
17 Makoto HASEBE (Wolfsburg)
18 Keisuke HONDA (CSKA Moscow)
19 Takayuki MORIMOTO (Catania)
20 Junichi INAMOTO (Kawasaki Frontale)
21 Eiji KAWASHIMA (Kawasaki Frontale)
22 Yuji NAKAZAWA (Yokohama Marinos)
23 Yoshikatsu KAWAGUCHI (Jubilo Iwata)
Click here for previews of Japan's Group E opponents:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Cameroon-a12422
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Denmark-a12423
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Netherlands-a12428
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