Official 2014 Japanese NT Thread

Discussion in 'Japan' started by OneiroPhobia, Dec 10, 2013.

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  1. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    The flu is not a cold, it wears your whole immune system down. He won't start the first game, thus his chances of playing an important role have already decreased.
     
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  2. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    But we don't know exactly how Aguirre sees him, for example maybe he is a starter in his book, and I doubt that he will start the 'main' lineup in the first game unless he wants to stupidly overkill the players...
     
  3. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Then the first match will be like Saudi Arabia in 2011?
     
  4. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    No, because Saudi Arabia was already out of the tournament back then.
     
  5. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    That's the thing, because of this timely illness, it won't matter since Endo is automatically going to start, not that he's awful, far from it, and I doubt he'll be changing a team that wins. I wouldn't start with a second lineup, if you don't take the competition seriously, it might come back to bite you. In 2011, the team was far better, yet almost lost to Jordan (granted they are better but you get my point).
     
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  6. Ogasawara

    Ogasawara Member

    Jun 15, 2014
    Club:
    Kashima Antlers
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I wonder weather the 2011 team was really far better than the current team. Of course Endo has declined since 2011 but certain players like Honda, Okazaki, Yoshida and Nagatomo have improved since then and have become better players.
     
  7. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I also don't think the 2011 team was better, actually the opposite.
    If we consider this starting lineup
    Eiji
    Nagatomo - Konno - Yoshida - Uchida
    Endo - Hasebe
    Kagawa Honda Okazaki
    Maeda

    9 players out of 11 are still there and could start again(would've been 10 with Uchida). Some in a different position.
    Our MFs\AMFs this time are better than Hosogai, Fujimoto, T. Honda, Kashiwagi, Matsui. Yoshida is more experienced.
    Kiyotake and Inui are in good form and they weren't there back then.
    Granted, Endo is older, Kagawa isn't in good form.
    But it would be a scandal to not have a top 4 finish.
    I know some think that "we have to win" but football can be cruel so unless we get out with a 3-0 by someone it will depend on what happened on the pitch for me (dubious penalties, disallowed goals, lucky goals, etc).

    yeah but I seem to remember we also had an unlucky disallowed goal, if I'm not mixing up something else.
    Speaking of which, Jordan just had an awful year and I think the "derby" with Palestine will be hot.
     
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  8. faiyez

    faiyez Member

    Feb 16, 2010
    Costa Rica
    Club:
    LD Alajuelense
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Considering the current state of international football in the region, any outcome other than lifting the trophy will be unacceptable.

    If Brazil were in this tournament, is there any question they would win it?
     
  9. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    because Japan is anywhere near Brazil now? :eek:
    Australia is the host country btw, in case you've forgotten.
     
  10. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    2011 team was riding the World Cup momentum, was playing excellent football up to the AC, Hasebe, Endo, Nagatomo, Kawashima, Honda and Kagawa were in their primes. The last three ones are the shadow of themselves now and Hasebe has clearly declined as well (yet it's good enough to walk into the team).
     
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  11. zdrstvte

    zdrstvte Member+

    Aug 27, 2012
    Club:
    West Ham United FC
    Auckland City has named a 19-man squad to face Japan:

    Auckland City FC 1. Tamati Williams (GK), 2. Simon Arms, 3. Takuya Iwata, 4. Mario Bilen, 5. Angel Berlanga, 8. Tim Payne, 9. Darren White, 10. Ryan De Vries, 11. Cam Lindsay, 13. Joao Moreira, 14. Sanni Issa, 15. Ivan Vicelich (c), 17. Marko Dordevic, 19. David Browne, 20. Emiliano Tade, 22. Andrew Milne, 23. Sam Burfoot, 24. Jacob Spoonley (GK), 25. Fabrizio TAVANO

    Among them is Takuya Iwata, ex-Gifu player whose day job is now a truck driver, who is very likely to start against Japan. He is the first-choice left-back for Auckland City and featured in every match of Auckland City's impressive run in the Club World Cup.
     
  12. Majster2

    Majster2 Member+

    Apr 23, 2010
    Poland
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Better to stay in Japan I assume.

    And no - Hasebe wasn't performing any better than he is now. And Kagawa haven't done too much for the NT up to the moment when AC started. Kawashima shouldn't be a starter anymore and there are two guys in the squad who are probably better than he ever was. Nagatomo just started playing for Cesena. He wasn't playing in CL quarters yet. And Honda still wasn't the team's coach like it happened prior to WC.
     
  13. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    Hasebe has lost a step, he's not as influential as he used to be. It showed at the WC and it shows at club level. His injuries probably took their toll on his body. He's still a decent player.
    I don't care about what Kagawa had achieved at the time. He came into the competition playing fantastic football with Dortmund and had some excellent performances during the AC. He's coming into this one as a sub in club after having spent a whole season on the sidelines at MU.
    Kawashima shouldn't be a starter but he will be.
    Nagatomo was at his physical peak and his AC was truly outstanding. He hasn't been the same since the WC. I don't rule him recapturing his form out though.
    And Honda ... I don't even need to write anything. Just watch his games.
     
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  14. AKITOD

    AKITOD Member+

    Apr 5, 2007
    Hobart, Aust
    Club:
    JEF United Ichihara
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Kagawa's been hanging around the team by name alone for at least 18 months now. Good games from him are few and far between.
     
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  15. Ogasawara

    Ogasawara Member

    Jun 15, 2014
    Club:
    Kashima Antlers
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I also hope that Kiyotake will start instead of Kagawa as he is in good form lately.
    But its ok that Kagawa was called up as he can be a valuable joker.
     
  16. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Kagawa "The Joker", WOW! You mean a "hidden knife" or "concealed weapon" or "sudden strike" right?
    An Hanamichi-Sakuragesque (SlamDunk) character, love it.

    And on which bases you guys said that Eiji is the weaker gk in the team (now and in the past too WOW)? By his unlucky season in Standard? Do you really think that one of the other japanese gks would be better then him in Eredivisie playing in such an atrocious team?
    I remind you that in the Okada-Zac years w/o Eiji we would lost a lot of matches and he was hugely important in WC2010 and AC2011 too (Nishikawa subbed him after the red card and he was not enough right? ).

    The main difference between '11 and '15 is (absurdly) that we are not sure that our Strikers will perform as good as Maeda+Lee did 4 years ago. Without those goals the final result were be Top4, the most realistic goal for this JNT after WC2014 and those ridiculous declarations of victory.
     
  17. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Are you trolling? Maeda was sh!t except for scoring a hat trick against weak Saudis who played for nothing. This time Japan has a successful Bundesliga scorer.
     
  18. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    No, and Okazaki was already present 4 years ago.
     
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  19. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    #1544 gamban98, Jan 3, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2015
    Sorry, you've just made my ignore list. I've been trying to put up with your negative comments but now I finally broke down. Every single post you make is negative.
     
  20. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    Before I shed a tear, let me remind you that the negativity coming towards Maeda emanated from you.
     
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  21. poponponpon

    poponponpon Member

    Jun 8, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    #1546 poponponpon, Jan 4, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2015
    speaking of kagawa, it doesn't matter if he is in good shape or bad shape at club level. he was/is/will be always utter garbage for japan. i've followed his actions at international level since 2008 asian u-19 soccer championship but believe me most of his games have been below average. he was crap even during his first stint at dortmund. his problem is that he needs physically strong or technically skilled centre forwards (barrios/levandowski) who are capable of holding up the ball for kagawa and hard workers (grosskroutz <-spelling?) who run like a horse to help kagawa. sadly japan lacks those types of players and that's why he is always disappointing. i already said this in 2011 on the japanese community. unfortunately people treated me like an idiot or loser at that time but finally they are realizing how useless he is. playing with kagawa is like playing with 10 men. any line-up without him is a good one.
     
  22. poponponpon

    poponponpon Member

    Jun 8, 2012
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    as for the championship, australia, south korea and to a lesser extent uzbekistan are our main competitors. betting websites consider us the top favorite and i agree with them. but asian cup is always difficult mainly because of poor officiating and our poor preparation.
     
  23. naopon

    naopon Member+

    Jan 2, 2007
    California
    Club:
    Kawasaki Frontale
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    lawl u guyyyyzzzz

    I think it's a good debate whether the 2011 AC squad was better than this one.
    • Endo and Hasebe are older, but also in good club form (domestic treble/lynchpin for good Buli team). Shibasaki really needs to recover - no other good options for a ball-playing mezz'ala
    • Losing Uchida hurts. Nagatomo is up-and-down but slowly recovering form
    • Kawashima is pretty much the same, for better or worse
    • Kagawa is out of form. Honda is more experienced and versatile
    • Okazaki did well in 2011 but is now one of the top Buli strikers. I think Maeda -> Toyoda is a downgrade
    • More goalscoring firepower off the bench with Kiyotake/Inui/Muto/Kobayashi, compared to Lee/Matsui
    • Yoshida is in good form and a solid PL player now. Moving Konno to the destroyer spot with Morishige in defense is a net upgrade
    • If Gotoku shows up, he can really add depth and width to the attack. But he can just as easily commit clunkers in the back
     
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  24. Kenbi

    Kenbi Member

    Nov 10, 2011
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
  25. faiyez

    faiyez Member

    Feb 16, 2010
    Costa Rica
    Club:
    LD Alajuelense
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    True, but they're talked about as *drum roll* the Brazil of Asia.

    I believe we took that distinction from the saudis long ago, lol.

    And Brazil was the host at their world cup, and Germany at theirs.
     

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