Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] That dude tried to stepover Nagatomo and got super-pwned. The match finally got lively these last five minutes.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Man, these Peruvians can wallop the ball from long range. Definitely good practice for Kawashima tonight.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Japan is really missing Kagawa, IMHO. PS: Peru without Pizarro, Vargas and Guerrero has no one to actually score goals.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] There's been 2-3 formation changes and 5 subs and only a few players from the A-team in their right positions. Also no Kagawa. There's about a dozen things preventing Japan playing their absolute best atm.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Dmn worst game I've seen Japan play for ages. Almost letting Peru win also now, looks so bad, understand that Kawashima is pissed.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Japan had a pretty bad game, the first have was forgetable...I honestly cant remember a thing about it. The second half was more true. Honda finally livened things up, Nagatomo too. Just not enough linking of passes together. I suppose some credit should be given to Peru who played a decent game. But lets not kid ourselves these guys are not a good team, average yes which is why Zac could experiment against them. Plus its a friendly...still Japan should win this game. Really dissapointing.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] disappointing... the match only came alive in the last 5 or so minutes when suddenly peru managed to get so many attempts at goal... i'm glad that at least honda and nagtomo got to play otherwise the game would have even been even more boring. the peru goalkeeper basically had nothing to do, shows that zac failed this time round...or maybe he was just experimenting.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] It will be same eleven in the next game to. Spec the defenders. :/
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] They couldn't give us even one replay of Endo's last FK attempt? It was better to just have the camera dwell on Honda looking pissed off as hell?
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] I don't understand some of the experimenting though. Why play 3 at the back, when you don't have fast wingers to provide width all over the field? And why no support in attack, leaving only one forward and no one to help him in the centre during the whole first half, since you're not playing a wide formation? Elemental stuff, really. That's not so much experimenting as wasting a game.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Konno is getting better and better. Good game by Yasuda too I thought. Might be time to start Lee ahead of Maeda although he isn't as suited as Maeda to lead the line.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] . Test match, no more, no less. I might disagree with some things I saw but I'll post it later.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Although I prefer Lee to Maeda too, they were equally anonymous in this match. Lee did have that one nice chest pass, I guess, which really should have been a goal by Okazaki.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] we switched to 3-4-3 at halftime against Australia in Asian Cup final. Do yuo guys think a 3-5-2 would suit this team better. Me personally, I'm a fan of the 4-3-1-2. Zac will prolly never run it though.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Test results are in: FAIL. Only Kawashima, Yasuda, Honda, Nagatomo get a pass. Konno got a lot of praise and he did make some smart plays but we looked very vulnerable at times, if Peru were as aggressive in the 18 as they were from 25 yards plus out things could have got ugly. "I might disagree with some things I saw"... by your rose-colored standards, Mr. Sunshine, that is like a blistering condemnation from anyone else. Usually you give a gold star and a Capri-Sun to all and sundry if they just managed to put their pants and shoes on. Not that I am flushing the 3-4-3, but it needs work, the back three cannot be so passive in possession (gotta have a Tulio or Makino) and obviously we need our best guys out wide, with Ucchi and Nagatomo from the start it would be a different story.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] It was also played to great effect in the charity match against the J-Leaguers (admittedly, not a match to draw sweeping conclusions from).
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Crap game... not surprising considering all the changes in the team. I find it amusing how the peruvian commentators where looking forward to and highly anticipating the entrance of Honda and Nagatomo.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] ...And that's exactly what has been done today. An experiment, that's what friendlies are for.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] No we did not switch to 3-4-3 in the final this is a common misconception. Zac has also stated that tonight was going to be the first time for 3-4-3. Against Australia, the substitution was Fujimoto off, Iwamasa on. Konno left CB and went to LB, Iwamasa went into Konno's CB spot, and Nagatomo pushed up into Fujimoto's place at LM.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] From a neutral point of view. Both teams focused heavily in the midfield, I know that's Japan's playstyle even though they were experimenting a different formation (3-4-3) I don't know much about Peru but we could see a 4-5-1 with their main player, Jefferson Farfan, as the only striker (This is not Farfan's role in Germany, he is a right-winger). Naturally, the game wasn't open enough for either team to have any shots on target, or goal situations during the first half, and, since it was mainly played in the midfield, both teams' strikers had to back off and get the ball from very far from the opponents goalkeeper. This changed on the second half when both teams went for the goal, at this point, we could see that Peru was better at doing this with 10 shots and 5 corner-kicks, Japan only had 1 shot on target and 1 corner-kick... I know Peru wasn't playing with their main team, mostly U-23 players as I read somewhere else, but with Juan Vargas (Fiorentina), Pizarro (Their main stiker from Werder Bremen) and 2 guys from Sporting Lisbon (Portugal) and some other 2 who play in Germany missing (thanks wikipedia), we can't say that Japan didn't win because they were just "experimenting" as you could say the same from Peru. I conclusion, I don't think both teams played badly, as most you seem to think, it was a boring game but because Japan and Peru played really well in the midfield, however, with 1 side standing out at the end.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] So far ? Yes. Take a glass of red wine sir, relax, life is good when you take it easy ... I'm just trying to not overreact like, let's say, 70% of the people posting here. This match was used to test some things, we don't know if Zach will keep on trying it, if he was happy with what he saw or anything else. I'm bothered by the fact that we had 0 chance, bothered by the fact that Inoha once again played right back while we have 356 better options here, bothered by the fact that Okazaki was bad on the side and made 165 fouls and so on ... but it's only a test and, obviously, some players were resting on the bench so that they could play against Czech Republic. And I'm not sold on Zaccheroni but it's no news.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] He can keep fiddling with the formation and even play another 3-4-3 against the Czech if he likes. However if this fails against the Czech republic and then again against ROK in august, and we then see Japan lineup 3-4-3 in our first WCQ, then I'll be very very concerned. Because above any real playing problems it will show arrogance from Zac which is of greater concern to me long term than formation. I see it like this; the 3-4-3, you cannot switch across the defense quickly. This is a big problem as Japan used to do this very readily and quickly and in this formation the team had to generally pick a side and commit to attacking that side. I'm interested to see how Japan goes with a 3-4-3 when using the top players. Because its clear the wing players (4 of them) are much much more influential in the attacks of the team with this formation. Tonight we had Yasuda, Nishi, Sekiguchi, Okazaki on the wings. So 3 of them weren't our best options and that inexperience on the wings, which are now so crucial, cost us. They weren't bad, Nishi I thought was good, but they didn't give that extra quality we usually have there. I'm keen to give it another chance with the top players controlling the wings, because defensively, the 3-4-3 was bloody strong. Only a couple half-chances were conceded in the first half. ALSO..... Maeda he's gotta go. I think he'd be VERY useful in a 2-top formation. But with a 1 or 3 striker formation he doesn't cut it. In the Asian Cup we saw it too, and in the 2nd half Lee did some good work. Also J.League performances suggest Lee needs to have a start. Maeda can't control that CF position adequately.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Did anyone recorded it or post it online to watch? I doubt they'll show it on FSC in America anytime soon. Reading the posts, it seems like a snore-fest in the first half and got exciting in the 2nd. So the 3-4-3 formation still needs alot of work for Japan. sounds like many of them having a hard time adjusting to it. Zac shouldn't force it onto his players, sound like he is dead set on it, though. I read that Zac is famous, or infamous for it. I'm a beginner in soccer and have no idea about formation or strategy... Anyway, I hope they'll do better in the next match against Czech Republic.
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] You can watch the full match here http://ja.justin.tv/kazanby/b/287122698?
Re: Official 2011 Japanese NT Thread [R] Just because it was a clean sheet doesnt mean Konno, Kawashima and the defense are godly. Actually its quite the oppostite in my eyes, you know the team they played was PERU!!!!!!!! I mean this want not Brazil or Argentina or Even Columbia or Mexico, PERU! Anyway, Japan played like chumps. Peru had more shots on goals(I dont even know if Japan had 1 or if Perus GK made a save) and they did it without their star players. Scary if you ask me...it was probably because Japan was playing a more aggressive style in the 2nd half but im not sold on the defense. Stop praising Konno is all im saying. The good: Honda was great, right when he came on the game truly began. Nagatomo as well played like a boss, running full speed at people, blazing down the line...gotta love the guy. Okazaki too I felt was great, hes really finding his groove with the team and should maybe be the lone striker up top. Hasebe and Endo were ok, solid. Yasuda was great, he was trying to be aggressive in the first half and gave it his all want to see more. Kawashima solid, though Id like to see him catch the ball instead of always parrying it. The bad: Inoha...why is he on the wing? Maeda..hes a decent target man, but thats all, he was invisible most of the match. The J-leaguers!!!!! So bad...cant really think of one that made a name for himself. Zacs 3-4-3, I dont want to write it off just yet. But if your going to play guys that dont move without the ball it will not work, Uchida and Nagatomo need to be on the sides, or Yasuda. Also, why not Usami? We need someone who wants to shoot the ball and provide excitement. Zac better figure this thing out because that was a very poor performance against a very poor team. The second half gave me hope at least, its a friendly I know and this is where you experiment but it was a trainwreck..