Oh, so that's what he was saying to Sawa in that "News Zero" interview posted by mumf yesterday... Kazu could be seen in a video-message for Sawa, where a big "100" was appearing on the screen and King was taking a bow to Sawa. Sawa looked impressed, but I really hadn't understood what was going on...
Well this Ami Otaki - about to join what is probably the #1 club in the world, remember OL crushed Potsdam in the Cl Final - who is she??? The Waseda article saus she was a "candidate" for the u-20 WC team in 2008, but that doesnt mean too much. The article also says nothing about her playing in Canada. (and who is King Kazu?)
Mumf, it's Kazuyoshi (Kazu) Miura, a former japanese male player (maybe she still plays in some third division team or something, at 40?), the first japanese player who played in Europe (and specifically in my country, Italy, in the Genoa club ), who guided Samurai Blue to their first ever qualification for a World Cup (France 1998). I guess in Japan he's venerated like a god, and I suppose that's the reason why he was nicknamed "King"... In the post above I said that you can see him in the video with the interview to Sawa that you had posted here yesterday. Towards the end of the video, Sawa is showed a video-message from a "mystery guy", that is soon revealed to be "King" Miura. By previous interviews to Nadeshiko players (for instance the video with Nadeshiko girls commenting the Club World Cup), I guess that Nadeshiko girls in general greatly admire King Kazu and are delighted to talk with him or hear appreciation from him.
Hey, people: by chance I was re-watching some pictures from WWC 2011 and, when I saw the photo below, with the players in line, exulting after Miyama's penalty during the final penalty shoot-out, I suddenly realized an important detail: the players were actually in line following the exact chosen order that they had to take their penalties. Miyama was first and just had scored her penalty: you can see that, from the right to the left, we had Nagasato, Sakaguchi and Kumagai (who were in fact penalty takers 2nd to 4th), followed by Kawasumi, who's been said indeed to have been named as the 5th, if Kumagai had missed her shot. And in fact Sawa is the last one (she said many times that she had asked to be 10th in the penalty order). So, with this pic, we can also piece together the rest of the list!!! Obviusly the order chosen by Sasaki was: Miyama Nagasato Sakaguchi Kumagai Kawasumi Kinga Iwabuchi Sameshima Sawa (Sawa was actually 9th, and not 10th, because Iwashimizu had been sent out in the last minute, and so Nadeshiko players on the pitch were actually 9 + Kaihori and not 10 + Kaihori; had the penalty shootout gone on until the 10th penalty, Kaihori would have been forced to take a penalty vs. Solo... ^__^) Edit: "scurry bag" runner Sameshima was one-to-last penalty taker, just before Sawa, lol... ^__^
Hi all and happy new year ^^ No many actuality from here about Nadeshiko. Like everybody know we lose again't Lyon but i was not at the place to follow the game and report, but game was broadcasted on OL TV channel and Montpellier was able to draw this time again ! Last monday Sameshima & Utsugi was took at interview by FFF journalist came especially from Paris for that. I assisted and the link on FFF website will be available soon i think. Many question about difference between Japanese/US football and French. Somes question too about the new popularity in Japan (more licence,more supporters etc). Coach explaned too how they recruit them (Utsugi contact them first, for Sameshima it's different MHSC moved alone). I will report the link here soon. Utsugi stopped training wednesday she look like injury but very light. About Otaki i took information and look like we can't know actually, Patrice Lair think it's was a good test but he is not able to decide yet. It's alvways hard to hard a new player at half of season most when it's a foreigner. This morning JFA Academy arrived at Montpellier, they will take a rest and will play a game agains't our Youth players tonight at 20:00. I waiting again playerlist but i think most of them will be players show in theses pics: http://fukushima.jfa-academy.jp/index.php?action=pages_view_main&page_id=18 I waiting more info about them if you can !!
Hi Kyra, welcome back... Yes, we were all sad here for the loss vs Olympique Lyon... Now let's hope they can do better vs Juvisy at home: come on, Montpellier girls, you can fight for a place in Champions' League next year! Believe in it!!! We wait EAGERLY (i guess i can say that for everyone here) for Utsugi & Sameshima's interview! This time it's ok for me if they are in french, cause I read it very well (I don't know if you followed the story of Kumagai's interview, that we had first in german only, and then was translated in english). About the young Japanese players, i can't help you much: I can't really say I recognize them by the photos (they are really young!), but probably some japanese friend can help you. Probably it's old news for you, but some of the names in the list that you posted are quite famous: Yui Narumiya is the captain of the U-16 Nadeshiko team that recently won AFC championship. Many names in the other list are also AFC champions, but they are U-19: Kumi Yokoyama, Yoko Tanaka, Ayu Nakada, Mai Kyokawa (these last three recently signed for INAC Kobe Leonessa, as it's been said some post above).
Someone recently had asked about the Audi cars Nadeshiko girls had been promised by Audi sponsor in august, as a prize for WWC victory (maybe it was mumf the one who had asked if Utsugi and Sameshima had the cars in Europe). Well, it now seems like at least one of the players did indeed receive her car... Kamionobe seems happy!
5 players was here today from JFA Academy. One is last u-16 MVP Narumiya Yui (成宮 唯) http://www.jfa.or.jp/national_team/topics/2011/558/5.jpg Maybe someone remember me Wada Naoko... They will go PSG and Juvisy for a test too (1 week).
I wonder if they include 18 years old members because they will soon graduate from JFA. Yoko Tanaka will go to INac as blissette says, and some weird fans including me of Haruna Kawashima want to know of her future path. Familiar names of younger players are of course Yui Narumiya, MVP of U16 Asian Championship, GK Inoue and Hirao, FW Rika Masuya and MF Ruka Norimatsu.
a part of me hopes she's been left in peace to enjoy her vacation without any media pressure... Another part of me wants to see PICS!!! (especially Kawasumi with lions and real leonessas!)
Are you kidding? No-one will recognise her in South Africa. Anyway you can follow on her unbearable blog Also, where's Micol - any games in Germany this weekend?
blissett, I think you may be right, because Sameshima also said somewhere she was #8, and I thnk we quoted Kawasumi here saying she was #5 right after Saki....but your photo link didnt work, can you re-post that? Actually this video is even better, take a look at 1:11, 1:33 and especially 2:22 because you can see that players, after taking their PKs, moved to the other end of the line. Maybe this is the Nadeshiko or at least Japanese way (to a westerner, it looks totally German in manner).
Kyra - the lists you posted are dated 2011 and so I assume they are from last year's JFA trip to France? Do you really have Naoko Wada there? If so, take some good photos and I bet AndG will appear on the forum, probably in tears (I may cry myself...lol). hey sc-f ........ did you see my post at the bottom of page 3 of this forum?
In fact I had posted the actual photo, not a link, and I still can see it in my post. But, if you want, you can find the pic anyway by scrolling down the following link (alongside a lot of Nahomi Kawasumi's pics)(Oh, if you scroll down to the end, you will find a pic of Sameshima wearing jersey #6: if you click on the pic, you will discover a similar photo gallery, but with Same pics, not Kawasumi): http://chitekizaisan.blog28.fc2.com/blog-entry-2981.html
I read they are only 17 years old members - Narumiya, Kojima, Sunaga, Yoshitake and Yamamori. The rest U-16 members went to Florida, and still there.
I saw the video (hadn't time to do it yesterday late in the evening): in fact everything is quite clear from this video. The confront with USA players (whose line in the center of the pitch seems to be quite casual) makes even more obvious the exact order of japanese ones. (by the way: how high can jump Kumagai when she's exulting? unlike Miyama, maybe she could have made a decent basketball player ). Another thing I noticed in this video (at the beginning) is how many people there were in the audience... Was ever a women's match played in front of a more crowded stadium? It's a shame that the guy with the camera "lost" many important pieces of the celebrations to record the podium preparations or the scoreboard; he managed to capture other moments never seen otherwise, though, and many previoulsy unseen embraces between Nadeshiko players.
Ha ! Anyway, from youtube a very interesting video - what does it say about Sasaki's decision in 2008 to play Sawa more defensively, and also the impact of Sakaguchi? Also you can see the class of 2008 - see how many faces you recognise...
Very good video,with lots of vintage Sawa's footage. Obviously I can't help you with translation, but I am interested too in Sasaki's tactics and its evolution. Anyway, Sawa said many times how useful Sakaguchi is to her: with her defensive skills, Mizuho is Nadeshiko midfield's pillar and lets Sawa play a little more forward, so she can score and distribute assists. Meanwhile, Nadeshiko fever is becoming a little too much, maybe bordering stalking for japanese sensibility (although maybe in Europe this kind of attention could be considered quite normal): we don't have to forget that these players were considered just ordinary, normal girls just some months ago, and now they have to face an insane level of popularity... Anyway, Sasaki decided to give a warning: let the girls in peace, or, near Olympics, the pressure will become unbearable... http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/sports/news/20120114p2g00m0fp085000c.html (it has to be said that, if players, rightly and fairly, decide to appear very often in media and make sponsorship-contracts, then they can't avoid this level of popularity and recognition...)
http://www.sanspo.com/soccer/news/120115/scc1201150506002-n1.htm Nori-san listed up as one of the candidates to helm China's male national team...
Why not try ? Imagine they throw 6 or 7 m$ in the discussion. I think Sasaki is universally a great coach even though I don't know if his methods will be as successful with men and their big egos.
I don't know of them well, but I watched a highlight of a last year's game on JFA TV, and Hikaru Kojima was a hero at the game. You can see her interview here. http://www.jfa.or.jp/jfatv/ Click the fifth（大会） from the top on the left side area, and search for 2011.12.10. JFA.