POSITIVE: Score 4 goals Okubo goal and charisma Honda double Morishige Nagatomo as ever NEGATIVE: Concede 3 goals Konno + Endo = the return of the living dead Kagawa (I hope he underperformed intentionally to avoid injuries etc) Forwards: really we need to start Okazaki as a secret weapon like Honda in 2010 See you in Brazil Samurai Blue!!!
Biggest positive: Even though we had a scare with Okazaki, it looks like there aren't any injuries inflicted from this game that will keep someone out of the CIV match. Though you wonder about the knock Okubo took to the arm.
significant win with a valuable lesson. Went 2 down, PK was lucky (but luck's part of the game) it raise their spirits and whatever talk they had in the locker room, keep it up. Fought hard for the win. 3 really nice goals. 3-4 Japan. This is the situation where they would concede, but scored more goals than the opponents. Important that they didn't lose their morale and kept on fighting, it's something that is very likely to happen in the WC. What I want to see from Japan is fighting throughout the match, would've been a different story if they scored first and tried to preserve it by defending, it's not good. For Japan, the best defence is a great offence, and continually attack push opponents back to their lines. I now worry for the injured and condition of the players. but confidence are high, hope they keep it up. GO JAPAN! GAMBARE, NIPPON! GAMBARE SAMURAI BLUE!
Yeah I do hope that is ok. (about okubo, it looked like seriously injured as it just hanged there) And I seriously dont wanna see Konno ahead of Morishige against Ivory Coast because defensively there is going to be crap all around I am sure. So I'll take a physically a bit stronger and taller player ahead of him, not to mention that I think he is actually better defensively and at playing from the back as well. So this is what I hope for that game and other than that? HA Which forward to start is now a question. I have a feeling Zac will go with Osako because of the height alone or something like that. Defensively this team is a nightmare and the only way to counter that is to work their socks off and not fall back and be pushed into their area. Ivory Coast will play long balls down the flanks and since Japan does keep a high line and since Japan does push full backs forward a lot that will mean tons of problem when you get the likes of Salomon and Gervinho running at you. So the most effective way to counter that is to first and foremost make sure you run a lot and close down quickly (especially defenders), to make those little fouls and stop their counters and to try and not ******** up on possesion too much. Without Japan's really intensive display I dont see them winning that game or even better not losing. Anyone not running like a retard will kill the team with his slacking and anyone trying to pass it around like on a training match as well. Japan will conceed at least one bar miracle that's a given. But a lot has to do with who will score first. Will they let them score first again or will they finally be able to go ahead and try to control the match. It's not an habit any more that they get goals and usually have to come from behind. It's a rule. The sooner this team accepts that it has defensively one of the weakest teams and one of the weakest DCs and that only a TEAM can help them defend. The better P.S. if that hand doesnt hit that guy for the penalty Okazaki gets that ball with a clear chance on goal so half a goal there in any case. Nothing lucky about that a bit unlucky for the guy to have hit him there though Also we didnt say props to Aoyama for that last pass. That was typical Aoyama stuff like he came on a pitch with sole mission for that one pass to Okubo. Well done
Wow, 4-3. We got some result with forwards, but man... defense is a big problem. Actually, it's probably the only problem got left for this team.
Guys I don't know how good this world cup is going to be, but I'm quite optimistic. Though consider in the scheme of things. - in 2010 we had a defensively very very strong team. - Now Japan is an offensively very strong team. In a world cup probably not too far away, we're going to see a JNT step out on the pitch in a world cup with a truly world class offence & defense.
Meanwhile I hope 1. Hasebe is fit and plays alongside mr Yamaguchi 2. no one gets injured 3. Zaccheroni figures out about Konno in defense when they look at this video Honda is talking about
funny how some people "report". http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/06/07/japan-rally-punish-zambia/ But Power Dynamos wonderboy Lubambo Musonda who replaced Chisamba Lungu in the 75th minute equalised with a breathtaking volley in the 88th minute after a dazzling run by the Zambia Under-20 captain on the left flank.
In 2010 Japan had a good defence conceding only 2 goals (1 irregular + a saved pk). In 2014 I hope Japan will break any JNT records of scored goals regardless of the defence. I hope Kagawa will have a nice first WC, he deserves after the Moyes affair.
unless Konno had surgery and looks like Uchida, he's not at fault on any of the goals. One thing is sure though, he's at the center of all the obsessions.
Honda was also scratching his butt 50 meters away from here, he's responsible. in short, absurd but haters gonna hate.
Well we know it all here. The entire defense is a liability its picking a lesser evil and trying to identify it. There are some things speaking in favor of Konno and in Favor of Morishige etc. But I know 100% that when JNT will be conceeding goals Konno or Morishige in the line up we will be pointing finger at them. Never ending story really
The goals they gave weren't really down to the center backs... Ironically it looks like Morishige's value may be more in his passing and attacking set pieces.