A matter of time? But that happens only in Saku's world. Well, many things happen there... The only fact is: not called up by Okada twice. Not by Hara. All the rest is your speculation to fit your own agenda and not a fact. He does not only write the names. He decides who play and who doesn't, and he tells him what the fuc*k he has to do. He called him up, he made it the new JNT defender since the Asian Cup, above other veterans like Kurihara. Keep it on, bro!
Okada was working on a 4 years cycle and his members were set, when this cycle was over the door was opened for newbies. Besides, soon after signing with Venlo in 2009, Yoshida had a big injury so he had to work his way out of this. But yeah soon after he was appointed, Zaccheroni discovered a defender named Maya Yoshida was a good player, something nobody in the JFA had envisioned, and he called him up. All hail to him.
His members were not set at all, unless you want to believe they were set outside convocations. mmmmh how many of these players are in the JNT today? Oh, wait. Also I already posted about this *sigh* But feel free to ignore the facts. I already posted about the injury. Infact he was called up after no more than 3 months in the Netherlands. You keep avoiding the main point which is not the fact the he was called up only (Mizumoto has been called up too) but that he was put as the new starter since the Asian Cup. p.s. Yoshida didn't do anything at all in the 2008 olympics. Infact he played only one match too. He wasn't bound to be the new JNT hero at all, sorry.
because ... that was ... the only timeline allowing it to happen ! Okada had his team in mind, Nakazawa, Tulio, Iwamasa, Konno. That was never going to change and couldn't anyway since Yoshida was injured. But he came back and made himself available just when Zach was appointed. this is not the point. The point is that he was a well known prospect standing out thanks to both his size and his speed and since there is virtually no other player like in Japan, HE WAS EXPECTED.
What is this all about again? About how good of a coach Zac is and what he copied, reused and what he brought to the table? I stick with my opinion, this next few months of testing other players and so on will answer me that. If he will be able to find alternative for attack, a substitute for Endo and stuff like that. Cause I wont accept the fact that what we see today is the JNT ultimate team for WC 2014 and if some shit hits the fan and someone gets injured in midfield or attack we can start praying cause there is no one else I'll judge him as conservative and as unable to adapt then and not before.
LOL. That's the typical answer made to fit your little puzzle pieces. But no. Infact, Mizumoto has been called up too and it's not just about the age. It's a choice. Also there is no problem in calling up different players in friendlies if you think the're that good. There is absolutely no way to prove what you say whatsoever. Not to become a starter in the asian cup for sure...
of course it is, there is a 3 years difference, which means the same in terms of experience. When Okada had the opportunity to call up Yoshida, he was too young to overtake one of the current members. But he did acknowledge his existence by calling him up against Yemen. Because Yoshida was a hot prospect due to his inner qualities, he brings things on the table that no other japanese defender can claim.
Wow... that's . that made his return and goal much more meaningful. the "pray", is it when he was on his knees, 2 hand points to the sky and then a kiss? sorry to ask, but I'd thought it was a habit, or trademark, of Honda since I always see him does that in matches, when he sub on, starts and score a goal. I'm only asking because that was the only one I saw when watching it online, but of course TV broadcast doesn't show the whole thing. Anyway, it's still emotional, my condolences to Honda. it was also a spectacular penalty, a rocket.
BigDnM: I don't really know, maybe Sponichi is just doing 1+1 but it's possible I guess. He called up a lot of players in that Yemen match - some of which didn't even play. Gotoku and Inui are the only one in the JNT today (well, Gonda too...) . Is he an incompetent then? Gotcha. He acknowledged the wrong players then. And no, he wasn't too young to be called up for a friendly, come on. Kanazaki, Kagawa, both earned callups. Even Muramatsu when he was 20yr, ffs...
Post match talk in English with Eiji Kawashima http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/32511043771/Japan-post-match:-Keeper-Eiji-Kawashima
Yoshida's interview in English http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/video/32522819818/Japan-post-match:-Maya-Yoshida Dont quite get what he meant with that last comment. "I hope so, but Japanese people a little bit crazy."
haha, he's clearly simply having an hard time with english, notice how most of his answers aren't really proper answers to the question Maybe he meant that japanese are a bit crazy and don't celebrate that much since they're immediately back to work, but I doubt it. Only his mind knows.
I thought so as well, because Kawashima kind of answers the same... And yeah too bad their English isnt better so they could really tell what is on their mind
I was reluctant to reply to your last post (Dax), but can I ask you a question? When did you start following Japanese football (JNT or J-League/J-Players)? Because from your replies it seems that you're just started to follow Japanese football after Zac (your compatriot) appointment, and think of it as if Japan is a mediocre team that Zac is going to help to reach WC and win AC!!! Since the turn of the century winning the AC and qualifying to the WC is the minimum of accomplishment the coach is asked to accomplish, at least from the fans. So It is not a big deal if a coach lead Japan to win AC, reach WC or record notable results against top teams. What proved my assumption is that you're claiming that Zico was a good coach, OH NO, Ask anyone who followed the JNT since the last 1998 WC, and he'll told you that Zico was the worst coach since then. Another thing that prove my assumption is that you suggest that Zac was planning to use Yoshida as his starting CB in AC in the first place. If you think so, I'm sorry to tell you that you're completely WRONG!!! Prior to the AC JNT technical staff (which was led by Hara, who was assisting and consulting Zac, as he had no clue about Japanese football up to that point) was aiming to make a smooth transition to the new generation, starting with replacing both of Tulio and Nakazwa as CBs. As you can notice that after Paraguay match, Hara used Iwamasa and Makino for the match against Guatemala, and in Argentina's match, the first in Zac's era the starting CB's were Konno and Kurihara, and since then they were the starting CB's until the AC, while Iwamasa, Makino and Inoha was their back-ups. What all of JNT followers knew that before the AC there were injury crisis in JNT defense, Kurihara, Iwamasa, Makino and Inoha was all inured, and Zac, following the protocol of not calling-up Tulio and Nakazawa have no option but to pick Yoshida, who was the 6th choice CB then, even local newspapers like Nikkansports claimed that Zac is going to start with the 6th choice CB for the opening game, so he wasn't going to use him as a starter in the first place. Finally, Maeda was often called-up during Okada's era and Hara's also, he was Morimoto's sub, but when Morimoto has injury and form problems + club duties, it was obvious that Maeda was the first option, so It wasn't like Zac has brought him from nowhere to make him his starting striker. Did I need to say more about Kiyotake, G.Sakai and H.Sakai, or this is enough for you? Anyway, I have no interest to have such a prolonged discussion with you, but I want to sum up my post by saying: As JNT fans the minimum accomplishment we are asking from any coach of our NT is to win AC and dominate our continent, reach at least the 2nd round in WC, and not just qualify to WC, record notable results against top-teams, and improve our NT and take it to the next level. So by this standards Zac has yet to make anything great, he is just barely reaching the minimum of our ambitions. But hopefully he'll "AMAZE US" as he claims with new tactics and player selections after the CC.
I started in 1998, when Nakata transferred to Perugia. rotfl I personally don't think winning the Asian Cup is a given, especially since the addition of Australia, but I could agree. ... does this change the fact that he won it by beating SK and the Aussies? Reaching the WC is, of course, a given, as there are 5 spots. Really? That's great to hear. Now, can you please name what top teams has Okada beaten? I'm all ears. Same goes for every other coach in the last twenties, of course. Remind me: last time we beat Spain? Last time we beat the Netherlands? How many times we beat France ? (oh wait! I think I know that - and it wasn't even in Japan) How many times we beat Argentina ? (oh wait! I think I know that) But we drew with Brazil once with Zico and once with Troussier, right? Because that's it, so far we just managed to snatch one drew each with Germany, England, Italy and nothing more. And that's in Japan's history since the 95' or whatever. But yeah, now Japan is worldclass and so they should beat all those top teams! No excuses, Zac! No, it isn't yet. Just watch in what teams our JNT players play. Guess you didn't care to really read that part of my post. Let's just skip this No I'm not, he said so himself "he impressed me in the camp and I went with him" ...... but Nakazawa played against Paraguay under Hara... ..... and both him and Tulio were called up........ Also, Tulio was injured... That's why he didn't play. It's ********ing Guatemala and you may want to switch your backline. Or yo dou think Iwamasa and Makino were set to be the next big thing? Thank god it was Hara's last match then! Sure, that's correct. That's when Zac begun changing the squad, you can look up at my previous quote in the other post, too.. First thing he did, was making Konno what went on to be the new starter. Let's do one thing at time 1) There was no protocol at all. Tulio was injured even before the Asian cup. Infact he might still have been called up, for one last time, maybe as a backup, who knows. He was going to make the preselection after all. Guess you weren't one of those followers. Funny thing is that Tulio sometimes was still there these years, talking to papers about how he was aiming for the WC 2014 . 2) As for Iwamasa and Inoha being injured, I don't recall anything similar. Heck, I'm pretty sure they even played and Inoha scored too ! I remember Gotoku being injured and later sent back. Kurihara wasn't called up. Maybe he was injured? No idea! But again, he himself said that Yoshida impressed him and since then he's been a starter (injuries don't last forever, don't they, right?). He also went on to set Maeda, Lee, etc. I don't want to repeat myself. so it's not really worth discussing this anymore. p.s. one recommendation for you: stop using papers and start using official speeches and lineups. Remember when Okubo was supposed to be called up, now? Or, Toyoda make it to the confederations cup? One was Nikkan sport, one was the Hochi. Well... lol. Are you playing dumb or what? So Zack should have picked his striker from J2? Do you realize what you just wrote? And since you say that he was "Morimoto's sub" now I'm convinced you're just making things up and never followed the JNT, really. Otherwise you would know that he made a grand total of 5 apps in 3 years under Okada. One as a sub at EAFF (he played 26 long minutes, it seems!), two friendlies against Ghana and Scotland, sit on a bench in 2007 in the Asian Cup qualification, and I can't even track the last one. Dat first option. And Maeda wasn't even called up by Hara for his Paraguay and Guatemala friendlies. Sure, go ahead. Were they called up by Hara? Maybe Okada? Oh right, they played youth competitions, so it doesn't count, hahaha, take that Zac! Lol he actually said "he'll try to suprise" but he wasn't talking about the Confederations. Do you want to compare how insanely hard this Confederations will be with the one in 2001 and 2005 too, maybe?
Ok man but you are clearly in anger with Zac for some reason cuz you (probably intentionally) forgot these: 1- In the previous edition (2007), Japan had not won the AC (4th place) than Zac improved Japan status even in Asia and with a more difficult edition cuz the tougher Australia joined the tournament for the first time and Japan had to overcome them to claim the victory too; 2- Zac had the last word on any call ups of the JNT then if he is a totally idiot as you have painted him he would mess up even Hara/JFA previous work while he used it as the basis on which to build his team; 3- Victory over Argentina with Messi on the pitch and over France in France can't be evaluated as "routine" for JNT coach, they are historical victories that will remain in the supporters' mind for a long time; 4- The same for the longest unbeaten run time ever; 5- Now Zac had planned a demanding schedule for the "after CC2013", there will be a LOT of matches where he can try schemes, tatics, new players and varied type of opponents. This is clearly a good plan, do you want to trace this also to Hara?