Well, sorry for Chifure, who fought a good battle this season, but Cerezo in 1st Division is very good news! This generation of players deserve it. A lot of this players are Asian Champions at their age level (or even World champions: Matsubara with U-17 in 2014): now they can thread the big stage on the domestic scene also. Tamazakura getting playing-time is the icing on the cake.
In the light of the EAFF disappointment it seems that we are, in a round about way, starting to ask the question.......When do get rid of your coach/manager? If it is the almighty English Premier League (men) the answer is simple....when he loses five or six games on the bounce...end of story. In our case it is more complicated.... I think we need to know what the original "deal" was in April 2016 between Takakura san and the JFA Womens Committee and then perhaps we may have more insight into the 'Takakura story' so far..... For example.....it cannot be denied that she has tried out a hell of a lot of players... the result of which has been a hell of a lot of 'tinkering'.... Why has she done this? Let me suggest that if the "deal" was...."if we appoint you ,you will be in post till the Olympics " then yes I can see why she has used the available matches to see as many players as she has and done as much 'tinkering' as she has. Had the "deal" been "you are in post till the end of the AFC 2018 at which time your position will be evaluated" then I suggest we would have seen a Takakura calling up less 'hopefulls' and doing less tinkering. I suppose the official position at the time was, as it is when you read of any new appointment...."coach X has been appointed as the new coach of team Y for Z years"...but we all know there's more to it than that. As it is unlikely that we will ever know what went on behind closed doors in April 2016 all is speculation. I confess to still being a Takakura believer but I suppose there comes a time when people stop believing....For me it would be when the person demonstrates a "significant failure" For what it's worth I don't consider winning two games a losing one game in EAFF is a "significant failure" Not getting one of the five available spots at AFC 2018 would go past "significant failure" and come under the heading of "catastrophic failure...end of the world..goodbye.. etc etc etc" Also I would ask you to consider this....what chance would any future coach have if this precedent is set...."you've got the job until you lose the first 'meaningful' (as Lechus puts it) tournament.
The Kim Yun-mi show -- she can shoot with either foot, and attack down either flank or through the middle.
Nadeshiko have learned to play as a team. The passing works, the crosses work (don't get too critical), now they need players that can break out on their own (dribble, finish). Tough - the focus was on the team before. The individuals (e.g. Nagasato [not saying that I am a fan - I am not]) have left. Where do we find those more single-minded players....
" “We are aware of the drop in fans in the league, so we need to become a team that can win [this tournament] and attract supporters,” Iwabuchi said. " http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0004131843
I'm impressed with one thing of what she said. "I wanted Saki to fail the PK in the WWC final, so that I could do that."
Today's result: Kibi 0-1 Bunnys Inac Leoncina 0-3 Cerezo Girls Three players of Cerezo (Yamashita, Yoshizumi, Tsutsui) played almost full for yesterday's and today's games.
I believe #5nadeshikofan has summed up the current state of affairs precisely....in only sixty three words (the ever present Japanese dilema...the individual or the collective). When N.T. management realise 'single minded players' are essential within the collective then perhaps we can move forward. The U19 squad leadership appear to encourage their 'single minded players' to be 'single minded' therefore we see the Miyazawa's and the Ueki's fearlessly taking on defenses single handed but not being seen as selfish. Why can't we have the same philosophy in the N.T?
Although she quite surely couldn't solve our scoring problem (she's not one of those single-minded players we were talking about, and quite always preferred to "play for the team" and to assist team-mates), I feel it's a shame that such a player, not in her prime for sure but not actually "old" either, has to watch Nadeshiko Japan play from the standings... We already knew that, because She had said it before more than once, also just after 2011's win! In 2011 final's footage, you can see she was the next penalty taker in line, after Saki, and she was eager to take that penalty shot!
Another interesting quote from Iwabuchi: "We realize it doesn’t mean anything to just pass the ball around". We all noticed that. It doesn't mean that Japan has to give up with their trademark beautiful passing game, but there has to be a way to finalize all of this work, or it's just possession for the sake of it.
Well, last season Kibi managed to get away with a play-off win vs Yamato Sylphid and remain in Division 2, but the trick can't work forever. Bunnys were solid all season and prepared very well after last season's disappointing play-off torunament. What can I say? In memory of good old times, I'm going to scream a. "GO BUNNYS!" Well, Cerezo's academy of youth players is one of the most beautiful news for Japanese football in the latest years: it's surely impressive that now, at the same time, Cerezo Osaka Sakai Ladies are in Division 1 and Cerezo Osaka Sakai Girls are in Challenge League. I am sad for Leoncinas, but Cerezo is the bee's kness.
Can I raise the issue of leadership on the pitch (and I don't mean just who wears the armband) I recently rewatched some WWC 2015 stuff... v Netherlands v Australia v England and all I seemed to see was Miyama pointing and shouting (perhaps that's slightly overstated) but I'm sure you get my drift. Except for the occasional Sakaguchi arms in the air 'I'm free' gesture there doesn't seem to be a lot happening these days. Having said that I was absolutely gobsmacked by just how many decibels eleven women can generate on a footie pitch in a cavernous nearly empty stadium (Estadio Algarve) in March so perhaps it's all done being vocally and I'm missing it on the small screen. Seriously...what do we think about on the field leadership?
Aussie-W-League update: - Melbourne City is not doing very good this season: today a clever counterattack strategy from Brisbane Roar punishes them. Kinga had a quite offensive role, judging from highlights' first actions, and she played the whole match. Anyway, Brisbane Roar beat Melbourn City by 2-0 and, at about an half of the regular season, Kinga's team now sits in the middle-pack (5th out of 9). https://www.w-league.com.au/video/full-time-highlights-brisbane-roar-v-melbourne-city
I look forward to her growth: very good prospect for our Senior NT. Sorry, I am not well-versed in Japanese male personalities: who Matsuda-san is?
Are the Empress's Cup semi final games on Thursday likely to be shown live...feeds etc etc Edit....NHK on line sports...from the Stella news page. Will us Euros be able to get that?
Former Nadeshiko GK, Yamago has been appointed as Chifure GK coach. 山郷のぞみ GKコーチ就任のお知らせ https://t.co/JMqszgkkR4 #jugem_blog— ちふれASエルフェン埼玉【公式】 (@elfen_official) December 20, 2017
Former World Champion also, although she didn't play half a minute in 2011! She ended her career in Saitama, if I remember well. Didn't know she wanted to coach, but I am curious about the results.
I had the feeling Iga FC Kunoichi weren't going to keep her in Second Division, now that she seems to be one of the new sensations in NT: Wonder il Ami Sugita will leave too, or if she'll remain. Best wishes for Madoka's marriage. Who is she going to marry? Another sportsman?
International update: After Kinga's Melbourne City's defeat, it's not like there were many great news for our players overseas: - in Germany, 1.FFC Frankfurt lost an away match to Bayern München by 3-0. Kumi Yokoyama played 82' minutes of it. Now Frankfurt went down in 5th position in the rankings (althoiugh with a match in hand to most opponents: Highlights: https://tv.dfb.de/video/highlights-bayern-muenchen-vs-1-ffc-frankfurt/20330/ - In France: OL-Guingamp 4-0 (nothing to see here ); Olympique Marseille-Paris FC 1-0. - In Spain, Erina Yamane manages to post a shoot-out: Sporting Huelva-Real Betis 0-0.