Official 2018 Nadeshiko Japan Thread [R] - なでしこジャパン（英語スレッド）

I was upset about many of the matches in WWC 2015 Canada having to be played on artificial turf / synthetic pitches (whereas the Mens' 2014 WC was not).

But the technology seems to have advanced since then, and many of the matches in the Mens 2018 WC Russia (including the final) were played on hybrid pitches (a mixture of real and synthetic grass) -- much better than the ones used in Canada.

If the choice is between a terrible natural pitch and a high-tech hybrid one, maybe the hybrid solution is not so bad.

It comes at a price, though, as the latest hybrid pitches cost in excess of €1m per stadium.

I wonder what the French will decide to do next year?

 

Yes, calling her a fringe player wasn't quite correct. Still, I struggle seeing her as an integral player simply because of the formation. She just doesn't have a natural position in this flat 4-4-2. She's an attacking midfielder, able to play as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 or a wide attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, but playing her wide in a 4-4-2 means playing her out of position. She's a square peg being hammered in a round hole and I don't think she can be assured of her starting place just yet, best player or not.

On an unrelated note, I have a question for anyone who has attentively been following the Nadeshiko League: Are there currently any good left-footed (or ambidextrous) attacking players (i.e. forwards, wingers, or attacking midfielders) under 30 years of age? The only ones I can think of are Momiki, Sugita and Ito, with the latter two more comfortable in central midfield. Anyone else?

 

Who is Ito?

By the way, I don't think there are anyone who can fulfill your request.
I would barely find only two, Nakata Pomme and Sonoda Mizuki, but they would be far from NT standard.

 

That's what I thought.

Ito Miki is ambidextrous, right?

 

I think she is a right-footed player.

 

Yes, right-footed with a really good left foot. Though to be fair if you count her as ambidextrous then so is Nakajima as well as some other players, so really we're just left with Momiki and Sugita.

How has Nakano been playing lately? Still fast at almost 32 years?

 

Sounds like FLiP but isn’t... What is it?

 

I agree, but I still see little excuse for countries as wealthy as Canada and the US in not being able to keep good natural pitches, especially not with the way technical information travels nowadays.

Based on the information for for 2019, they will play on natural surfaces. The only frustrating part about the venues is the fact that the Stade de France and the Stade Vélodrome (Marseille) are not in the lot. The biggest stadium booked for the tournament is the one in Lyon (capacity: 59,186). It would have been nice to see the extent of increasing popularity in the women's game if the 2 biggest stadiums in the country are involved.

 

If I’m not mistaken, she used to play for Kibi:

Amazing shoot⚽️@#baysideunited#ArisaTakeda#武田ありさ pic.twitter.com/TRL18FCqBD

— Y.NOZAKI (@afj823) August 27, 2018

 

We would never have sold enough tickets for the big grounds, barely got 15 690 in January at the Velodrome.

 

Better to have a medium stadium filled to the brink than a large stadium half empty. 60000 seems a reasonable number for a World Cup final that most likely won't have the host nation playing.

 

Fuka’s goal is the Goal of the tournament.

 

Superfly
This was basically the supporting song for Japan male NT in 2010 South Africa WC in NHK.

 

Still active, still cool in Nagano, but I don't know if still fast.

 

I didn't see the list but my favorite goal by Nadeshiko was the third goal against Germany.

Not the best Germany side, and that could also apply to the USA, but it was a great achievement by Ikeda's team. Whatever the opponents' qualities were, they still beat the USA, Germany, England, and Spain.

In the past, compared to U17, it was quite evident that physical side of the game started showing the difference and struggled against the European sides in the U20 category. Apart from the final, in which they were completely overpowered by the Spanish midfield (ok they had three players and one of them was very powerful Guijarro), but I didn't see Nadeshiko looked outplayed physically in other matches.

Sure they can't dominate in that department, but at least they could compete. Unusually this team consisted of players with decent size for Nadeshiko's standard as opposed to the previous U20 teams - all the starting players were above 160cm bar two central midfielders in Hayashi and Nagano. Not only they were strong enough to compete but they had pace in attacking players. Also we had two wide players and Ueki who could run at the defenders with the ball. They had cutting edge.

The previous U20 team probably had more quality players. But you can't deny they were too lightweight and they coouldn't beat the European teams. The size is not everything of course - Nadeshiko have been proving that. But sometimes you need to earn the right to play, you have to win the ball in the first place.

I cannot see any players getting into the squad for the WWC 2019 though.

I love Nagano but there is no way she can play in the senior national team having seen her play in this tournament. When she has space and time, she is brilliant but right now she can't compete at the highest level yet especially in 4-4-2.

Minami looks like a promising player as a future Nadeshiko but she can't even play regularly at her own club yet. I can't see her getting in to senior Nadeshiko by next year.

 

You're right.
Hinomoto - Kibi - Saitama - Takatsuki - Iga - Orca - Bayside

 

I always thought that Seikima II's The Winner was the best

 

I agree.
I've rarely seen that kind of accurate cross ball.

 

Umm, geo-blocked for me.

 

Then you are in Japan... , but you can imagine Seikima II singing Winner with the glorious goals of Sawa, Ando, Nagasato, Ohno...