I wonder what's to come of Maya Yoshida. I feel like in his role he may have another WC in him if necessary. We've just seen Hasebe play the WC of his life age 34 in a much more demanding role and CBs have more longevity. We're gonna need new side backs x2. Pretty much a whole new midfield bar Haraguchi & Shibasaki Probably a new few strikers too. One good outcome from the tournament is Japan have well and truly shaken the tag as a team who can't finish in the final third.
Well going out on PK's and ending with a 2-1-1 record is a better result with only 2 conceded in 4 games. Also I quite liked having an almost entirely J.League squad with a Japanese manager. The reason for the current fruitfulness in Japanese opportunity in Europe is due to that team breaking down the barn door. However overall, I preferred this team. Because it was so wonderfully Japanese in its style of play, fluidity and movement in attack. Okada Japan was awesome but you wouldn't look at that team and say that represents typical Japanese football.
There are reports that Honda has officially retired from the JNT. We were lucky to have bore witness to such an amazing Japan NT career. He was brilliant. I suspect Hasebe will retire too, and Nagatomo and Kawashima... I'm a bit emotional I love these guys.
They will not be good until they get rid of Kawashima's influence and hold on the team. He is too limited athletically and length wise and is always making stupid mistakes. They really should have had new blood a long time ago. Look at the new long, tall Korean goalie he single handedly kept Korea in the game with Germany. He's like the Nobuhiko Takada of soccer when Takada fought in Pride FC.
Still struggling to process this result. Seeing that Belgium counter-attack play out before my eyes I just knew it would result in a goal. I think I had my head in my hands as soon as Meunier played the final ball. Looking back on the tactical camera angle, I cannot understand Yamaguchi's decision-making. He just stood in the middle of the pitch like a training cone. He absolutely had to take out De Bruyne. But overall, I think it's clear that this was Japan's best-ever World Cup, and a clear indicator that Japan is very close to progressing from "best in Asia" to a top football nation in general. Yes it would have been so nice to make the Quarter-Finals this time, but at least from this World Cup the team, completely against expectations, has set an exciting platform for the next generation.
Hasebe will be indeed the toughest to replace in short period of time. He was a lead-by-example type of leader on the pitch. He is also a class act, always keeping himself from any off-the-pitch issues. In Japan's success over the last decade he was always there.
It was their best WC performance ever. Unlike 2010, they tried to play open attacking football and it was successful.
Well, after the adrenaline rush went down, i can't help but think why Nishino had not subbed in third CB in order to maintain spare man in the box in response to Fellaini threat. Ueda can do the job, i know Fellaini's header coming from late movement towards the box, which is Hasebe trying to cover but couldn't get on top of his handicapped stature, but Ueda can just man mark him. He's decent on the ball as well so we wont be crippled in making a decent build-up out of the back instead of made like for like subs (Yamaguchi for Shibasaki). Switching to something like 3-5-1-1 is reasonable enough IMO, we maintain spare-man at the back, and didn't lose body in the midfield. Honda can replace Haraguchi and take role as #8 beside Kagawa. Transition wouldn't be hurt so much as Osako doing a good job as a post player throughout the game, well he did falter a bit in the middle of first half, but regain the momentum in the second. it would be -----Yoshida---Ueda---Shoji--------- -----------------Hasebe----------------- Sakai---Honda----Kagawa----Yuto -------------------Inui--------------------- -----------------Osako------------------- Or maintain Shibasaki and delay Honda's subs in in the OT
In the end, maybe it comes down to Nishino not having enough time with the team to practice these types of situations. He probably didn't feel comfortable changing the formation and inviting more pressure, so just stuck with what got him there. It's a shame Japan didn't hire Nishino earlier, or even 10 years ago. It's clear now firing Haliwhatever was the correct choice, even if the reason JFA gave was complete b.s.
But, our player ability and self-confidence to take on one-on-one situation and get stuck-in with an arguably stronger and bigger lad maybe owing a lot to Halilhodzic approach. Nishino did a great job in mixing this with brilliant positional play, though. Always thought that our positional play was very good in this tourney. Nishino manage to combine flair while assert the tactical discipline in this team. In such short period of time. This team reminds me a lot to Kovac's Eintracht Frankfurt.
i know it’s all hypotheticals now... but having an in-form nakajima coming off the bench against a tiring and leaky belgian defence...
Wonderful game. Pulled for Japan like I've never done before for any other team. Country and supporters have a lot to be proud of. Congrats!
on a side note, what an experience for the u19 players training with the squad. talk about motivation to break into the national team.
Wenger? For the laugh of God, don't. Sampaoli in would be great. Don't judge him by Argentina, but by Chile and Sevilla. On the side note, Kiyotake's career went south under him, though. But a lot of factor played in. Who else will be available after this?
For which reason? Japan reach the Final16 3 times with only 6 partecipations. Colombia/Senegal/Poland were a very hard group and Belgium was the stronger opponent ever met in the elimination phase, despite these we did great. In Qatar2022 we can have an easier group and/or an easier final16 opponent. Doan, Nakajima and the same Kubo can be there, be positive man!
Without putting forward any names, I often said to people who are interested in Japan that hiring Dutch or German coaches would be a good path to take because those people are often known to be methodical. The next step in the development of the NT is to make sure players are very disciplined and efficient in their actions, especially when it comes to little details that can make a difference between winning and losing. Being methodical is an attitude to have in succeeding with those details.
But that was a lucky goal, it doesn't have to do with Eiji. Anyway, you'll see for yourself the issues with the japanese goalkeeping school when "god Nakamura" becomes the next goalkeeper. I guess that's the half empty glass approach. To each his own. Japan didn't win the world cup once again, we suck!1
It's not often I quote Matsu over at Jsoccer, but he put it very nice here: " (...) As morbid as the legend of Takeru Yamato might be, there is a powerful and emotionally compelling message in this feature of the Japanese character. It is not the failure itself that we celebrate, so much as the stoic ability to suffer the worst fate imaginable, yet still endure. Perhaps this is partly a reflection of the country’s disaster-prone geography, where earthquakes, typhoons and volcanic eruptions are constantly disrupting normal life ". Why so many teams in Japan choke is usually down to the mentality of the team that loses, and not so much the strength of the winning team. Of course this happens in Europe and elsewhere too sometimes, but not on the same level and not for the same reasons (as highlighted above) as in Japan imo. Here's the full link to Matsu's report: http://www.jsoccer.com/new/samurai-blue-reports/404-japan-belgium-180703