Although I don't agree with Sergio Echigo with a lot of things, he has been pointing out the same thing over the years and I agree with this "celebrity" culture of Japanese football. http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20140625-00205572-soccerk-socc Basically he is talking about JFA and the NT becoming a big money making operation, and the media is the bandwagon with this Japan Hype, and perhaps that may be the cause of fans and players over-rating the ability of JNT and putting unrealistic expectations. Let's face it, IVC Colombia are better than us and beating Greece isn't a walk in the park, but even in this forum, a lot of people felt better IVC and Greece was very doable. We became too attached to playing "our brand of football" because it's exciting, and like 2006 WC we went into the world cup with glaring problems because we had some good results along the way. We point the match against Netherland, Belgium, and Italy, but we forgot we only won one of the games, and we conceded horrible goals on 2 of the friendly matches. It seems like the problems we had all along reared it's ugly head during the WC. I also felt like like Zico, Zach really failed to do any effective bench-work or alternate game plan that would have helped change the outcome of the game. Lamoucshi did his homework, and it really showed. He had an answer for Japan's high pressing and pressed his side backs high, rendering Kagawa and Okazaki ineffective, and Zach's answer was to try to regain football by adding Endo...and he did not have the courage to sub out Kagawa earlier, who has been horrible that day. Same thing with Greece, he did not use his one last sub, and that could have been used for someone like Saitoh Perhaps, we needed to treat us more of an underdog, and plan accordingly. I am not saying we need to go back to playing like 2010 all over again, but as Osim have said, maybe we need Plan B, and flexibility to adapt in case "our football" is ineffective against top opponents. The current NT squad selection is build to play attacking possession football, but Hosogai would have been great if we need to go on defensive and hold off a lead(like IVC), or Toyoda or Havenaar for power play(against Greece/Colombia). We also need to find way to play more competitive matches. Playing in Asia is holding us back. The first test for how well play against real tough opponents came in Conefed Cup and I think that's too little too late. One thing I can say about the WC since 2002 is that we had hard time determining our strength compared to the world. For 2002 and 2010 the reality check came early enough, and coaches had the courage to make last minute changes, but for 2006 and 2014 we had good results going in, which cement our belief in our football for better and worse. I hope Japan gets the chance to go to Copa America Again, and perhaps find a way to do more friendlies in Europe in an away game. Playing weak teams and B teams of high ranked teams won't cut it. Also, as stated above, we may need to re-think the soccer culture as a whole. Japanese media is weird when it comes to soccer. It's not unusual to see TV shows that regularly feature the like of Sanma-San or memebers of AKB48 to join serious talks about JNT, and I don't think things like this happen elsewhere, at least not at the level of other countries. It seems like we also like good commentators and journalists too. I don't know how someone like Sugiyama Shigeki maintains his position as a soccer journalist, other than seniority(which Japanese ppl take seriously).
THIS. In Japan we treat football as an entertainment business. Look at the JNT matches, most of those fans look like they are there for a AKB/EXILE concert and don't really care about the outcome as long as their beloved 'Uchii' gets some screen time. The majority of the geinoujin have no place in the football studios before the game, we treat the WC like it's some sport-orientated owarai, not a do-or-die clash that comes around every four years. Like Echigo says, no matter the score the fans will always chant the monotonous Nippon chants without any sense of urgency even when we are losing. All they will say is maybe squeal a 'Ahhh zannen', very rarely I see a JNT fan get out of their seat in frustration or display any sort of emotion that I see from foreign supporters when their team desperately needs a lift. I appreciate the fan-friendly atmosphere of J League/JNT but sometimes I do feel there is a lack of 'real passion' that we see in Europe and South America.
Well I guess that won't happen anymore cuz their beloved Uchii is retiring soon? Can anyone confirm this and summarize what he said in that interview?
Opps, I meant lack, not like. I also think the media should stop paying people partial to Japan, i.e Lineker, Troussier..etc to say good things about Japan. Both Okada and Troussier boasted Japan had better team and has good chance to go through. At least Osim had the modesty to tell people not to underestimate Greece. Same thing with Japanese commentators and celebrite. Like I said, people like Sugiyama needs to go, and we need more honest voices who are willing to be critical about the Japanese football. I checked Okudera's blogs and twitter and he is quite frank about Japan and doesn't sugarcoat it as much, where as other former NT players turned commentators (Maezono, Fukuda, Nanami..etc) seem avoid asking the hard question and be critical to state of Japanese NT. Soccerfanfromcanada, The latest article I read mentions that Uchida is not retiring, but rather, he is considering what to do about it in the future... so no definite answer.
He said that he wasn't speaking about that in public but he thought about that lately. That only shows in what mental slump JNT was during the WC. He did his best to get back after the injury and did everything for the WC but it usually takes as much time to get to your previous form as you was out injured. Seems like he didn't make it in time and started lament about his display at WC in a form of 'Why it goes so well with Schalke and so bad when he played for NT?' fashion.
And finally Sergio has got his point! But why only Honda when he was one of the handful players that delivered anything in this squad?
Wait, are you guys saying that Japan failed because of the media treating them like celebrity? wow EDIT: how about they are simply not good enough?
Only Inoha really had no place there. Endo had shown he still had a place in a certain type of situation. Okubo was probably the pick that I really wanted, even if in the end he missed 4 or so crucial chances.
It will be Japan Conmebol words http://esportes.terra.com.br/futebo...73d5d02c3a880410VgnVCM10000098cceb0aRCRD.html
I was hearing from people that choosing Itu as the base training camp was a big mistake, because the weather condition was very different from the weather condition in places where the matches were held, and players were forced to travel about 2000km from the training camp to the stadium. They did that only because Kirin headquarters is there. This may be why players weren't able to properly adapt to hot, humid conditions. More about it here.. The article mentions how Germany, on the other hand, have built a training camp near the stadium to make sure they can make adequate preparations http://www.footballchannel.jp/2013/12/16/post17139/3/ I don't know if this rumor is true, but like I mentioned above, this may be one of the many things showing how JFA is more concerned about money making than soccer.
You guys talking about Atsuto Uchida ? He wa outstanding....he gets absoluetly bestmarks in every game 3 vs Ivory Coast, 2 vs Greece and 3 vs Colombia...he was on of the best players this WC so far. Absoletly no mistakes and much more better then for Schalke and one of the lights in the JNT. He was not decent,he was very good. The hole Team was not good thats true but he was great and you can`t blame him for anything. Best player in this team this WC
Mexico and Japan were initially invited to join the 10 CONMEBOL nations in the tournament.[7][8] Japan declined the invitation, and China was invited instead,[9][10][11] but later withdrew due to the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (AFC) being held at the same time.[12][13] In May 2014, it was announced that the Jamaica Football Federation had accepted an invitation to participate.[14] On 29 May 2014, CONMEBOL confirmed that Mexico and Jamaica will participate as invitees.[15] This will be Mexico's 9th participation in the Copa América, having played in every Copa América since 1993, and Jamaica's first participation in the Copa América.
What a wasted opportunity. We obviously need the practice against South American teams (and not B teams traveling to Japan to roll over for us).
Man you know your team has been sucking when people resort to arguments that have absolutely nothing to do with the pitch. The culture was the same in 2010, they got out of the group. Because a first round elimination is gonna net them a ton of money. No.