(2010.06.28) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay x Japan [R]

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Japan's loss today was heartbreaking, I felt that I was shedding tears with those crying Japanese fans at the scene. Japan played well today, even though not as good as against Denmark. Japan had a good run, showed the world what the Japanese are capable of. I see bright future for Japanese soccer. Congrats. Better luck in 2014.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Damn right. In fact the So Koreans were very impressive too. But you can bet that team was not looking over its shoulder and hoping Japan would flop. It is only the narrow-minded few - idle spectators - who were wishing that.

In fact it is in the interest of all Asia that any Asian team does well, as the division of spots for each World Cup is always under review - and especially after this WC seeing as the EU and Africa have done poorly.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Doesn't look superb.

If we're looking towards the next World Cup instead of just next year, I could see it as something more along the lines of:

[LINEUP-4-5-1]Morimoto,Haraguchi,Kagawa,Kanazaki,Honda,Hasebe,Nagatomo,Makino,Iwamasa,Uchida,Kawashima[/LINEUP-4-5-1]
Morimoto could be replaced with Okazaki, but Morimoto looks like he'd have the strength and selfishness to succeed in the role... I also had a bit of trouble working out a central defensive partner for Makino, and just figured Iwamasa would be just young enough to not have retired by that time (I doubt Tulio will be playing at 33).

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

I think it's just about impossible to predict a year from now, let alone 4 years.
In 2006 we all probably thought Takahara would be around to stay.
Six months before now we all probably would have predicted a different lineup and formation than Okada ended up going with. I mean, who would have guessed Honda by himself and that Okada would actually drop Naka?

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

It was sad that Japan loose at penalties.
The asian teams make big steps forward after WC2002.
I had enjoyed to watch Japanese Football, specially for Honda was a great tournament.
High possibility that asian teams like Japan or South Korea bring strong teams for 2014.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

You do know that was Paraguay's reserve team right? Far from the same team that's at the World Cup.

And no South Korea wasn't better then Uruguay, Uruguay let you guys play after taking the lead but immediately took the lead again after S.Korea equalized, no offense but your defense is a disaster. Japan's is much better and organized.

Anyways my analysis of the game was that neither team played very well today I think they where both too nervous and cautious. This was by far the most tense game of my life. (I didn't even watch the penalties I couldn't )

Japan does have a bright young team and will definitely do good things at the Asian cup and next qualifiers.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

well you obviously were trying to start something. I'd go on but Latin Pride summed things up pretty well.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

'Good things' at the Asian Cup?

We have to win AFC Asian Cup. No other result is acceptable.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Bingo.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Japan finished 2-1-1. Defeats (or victories) through penalty shoo-outs count as ties.

It's only snobbery that prevents people from realizing there are six new "consistent" powers around, strong enough to challenge any South American and European team: South Korea, Japan, Mexico, USA, Ghana and Ivory Coast.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Tough luck. It sucks whenever you lose by PSO.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

I think he saw Hong Myung-bo taking game-winning PK back in 2002 against Spain

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

I don't really care about winning Asian Cup -- I want to see some development and getting back to the aesthetic football that Japan can play, trying some new forwards like Morimoto, Kagawa, Hirai, Watanabe, etc. built around Honda as the rainmaker.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Paraguay was better team , so I don't complain about PKs. And I thought Okada would mostlikely fail in WC, so I was wrong. Gomenne Okachan.
Great effort by Japanese players. Thanks for it.
But this game showed the limitation of Okada Japan. I hope next coach is more good at organizing attack.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Back to the actual subject of this thread, the match.

One thing that really struck me in retrospect, is that Japan violated the principle of "dance with the one what brung ya" in a big way, even though overall that philosophy was the cornerstone of the campaign.

What I mean is, direct FK strikes on goal were the key element of the victory over Denmark. And although Paraguay was very disciplined on the whole to not give away dangerous FKs, they did give away a few. And depending on your interpretation of the intent of Honda's daisycutter, either zero or one of at least four or five FKs in shooting range were direct strikes on goal, as I recall. To me that is hard to understand. Why didn't Honda or Endo ever decide to take a crack at it?

We'll never know, but that strange abandonment of what had been working may have cost Japan the match.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

Thanks for those pics, tako. Pretty moving.
Looked like good sportsmanship there by the Paraguayan.
I'm not mad at Komano. He shouldn't have been allowed to be put in that position, where failure was very likely in light of his attributes.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

I think the mistake is that the formation and design was, more or less, to play for penalties from the beginning.
Matsui was our best creative player on the pitch and he was the first to get yanked. Nothing went down the left side until Kengo came on. And Honda would've done miles better sitting behind a guy like Morimoto.
The sit-back-and-defend-deep procedure used in the groups, when we really only needed draws after picking off Cameroon 1-0, wasn't going to work. Nor did Paraguay's attack warrant such caution. Finally, the players looked like they lacked the energy to do the crazy amount of running required for that strategy for the 4th match in a row too.

 

Re: (6.28.10) FIFA World Cup RO16: Paraguay vs Japan [R]

He's a very good from the spot. I believe he took them both in Asian Cup vs Australia and S. Korea and vs Switzerland in a friendly and made them all(correct me if I'm wrong).