Pre-match: 2014 World Cup Group C Matchday 1 Japan vs Cote d'Ivoire 14/06/2014

Discussion in 'Japan' started by Samurai Warrior, Jun 13, 2014.

  1. AmericanKaka

    AmericanKaka Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Even Saku can't find it in his heart to be the contrarian and see the silver lining for this one!
    That tells you how bad it was.
    But I bet he will still defend Osako!
     
  2. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    I admire your willingness for trying to pick up a fight, I'm too disheartened to do that.
    Besides I like being right.
     
  3. marten48

    marten48 Member

    Jun 2, 2012
    United States
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    As detailed in an earlier post, Zak comprehensively lost the tactical battle to Lamouchi, and as the leader of the team, final responsibility for the defeat does lie with him. That said, in soccer the manager has less influence over the course of the game than in other sports, say American football where the coach calls every play. Zak may not have had the right gameplan but it's hard to criticize too much when the players failed to execute his gameplan in a way that was surprising to anyone who follows the team and to Zak himself I'm sure.

    I'm most disappointed with Kagawa because he played so far below his level. (Osako had a terrible game but he does not have two Bundesliga titles under his belt). If there was one play that set the tone for the game it was that moment early in the game when Kagawa got the ball on the break and in space, but his pass was so off that it looked like it was designed to set up a CIV counter. The whole match followed suit. He had one of those games where nothing he tried came off -- all his little flicks, tricks, and moves failed. If you remember, that's how it went for him in his first CL campaign with Dortmund, when they crashed out in the group stage. Kagawa was a key player on that team so his poor performance had a lot to do with their early exit. The JNT at its best plays a little like Dortmund so I think there are parallels.

    A player who relies on intricate technical skills will have games like this when the skills don't come off. Unless his confidence is shattered (a distinct possibility given this disastrous performance) there's no reason why he can't bounce back in the games against Greece and Colombia. Kagawa at his best, in the set-up we have (which is more Dortmund than Manchester United), is a world-class player who can inspire victories against both those teams.
     
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  4. YLbowman

    YLbowman Member

    Aug 15, 2011
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Its going to be really tough to get out of the group now, but I'm confident in a win against greece. Even if we win that game we will have to rely on the scorelines of the other games to be able to progress
     
  5. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    Because he was the only one right, and Okubo and Kakitani did much more against those mountains of defenders. Not.
    All the players were utter crap, Kagawa producing probably the most shameful display. Playing in a park with friends.p.
     
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  6. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    Lamouchi was a great player and he's a very smart guy.
     
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  7. Necrons

    Necrons Member

    Jun 15, 2014


    With that kind of pitch, Moyes crossing tactics would have worked. haha
     
  8. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    I know it's not important but if Zac win against Greece he will be in the exactly same situation of Okada in 2010: 1 win, 1 defeat, score difference +0 (or better if we defeat them with more than 1 goal).

    From this pov this WC seems not so a disgrace with the difference that Okada Japan lost but play very good in Netherlands tie and Danemark was a better final opponent than Colombia.

    SK supporters tell us that Greece would be not a problem for Japan, they beat them 2 - 0 in friendly and then Colombia crushed them 4 - 0.

    Try to rise your spirit Samurai Blue and don't give up till the very end!
     
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  9. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    what if that was never the plan ? :laugh:

    then you have missed many matches along the road, my friend.
     
  10. Saku²

    Saku² Member+

    Aug 22, 2009
    Club:
    FC Salzburg
    Honestly it's not too far removed from the worst. They produced nothing.
     
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  11. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    nah, that's just post match overractions. There were (too) few chances, but only Keisuke was taken. We lost 2-1, not 5-1 or 3-1 against Costa Rica. The bad thing is that it happened in the world cup, but so did these results for example.

    a few randoms:
    Okada's 3-1 from South Korea at home with a full strenght squad and 3-0 against Serbia at home, Zico's 3-1 with Australia and 4-1 with Argentina, Zac's own defeat with Belarus, Troussie's 5-0 from France, Jamaica in 1998's world cup, etc

    anyway, here's hoping the player let their nervousism go and play with nothing to lose the next matches.
     
  12. shinović89

    shinović89 Member+

    May 23, 2010
    Liverfail
     
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  13. Chingoo

    Chingoo Member+

    Feb 10, 2010
  14. scotch17

    scotch17 Member

    Jun 15, 2008
    Entebbe
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    If I were to pick a least worst player, it'd either be Uchida or Honda. Uchida was often our most threatening player -- crazy as that seems. And Honda kept going til the end, even if he wasn't great. He was going back to pick up passes from the defenders (something Endo and Yama should've been doing) instead of them just punting it aimlessly once again.
     
  15. faiyez

    faiyez Member

    Feb 16, 2010
    Costa Rica
    Club:
    LD Alajuelense
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Blargh.
     
  16. AmericanKaka

    AmericanKaka Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
    Those were the two that immediately came to my mind.
    Like I said, part of the perception is that the pain of the older ones fades.
    Still, the fact that it clearly ranks with notorious shitshows like those two...
    it was horrific, we all agree.
     
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  17. AmericanKaka

    AmericanKaka Member+

    Dec 30, 2006
     
  18. Chingoo

    Chingoo Member+

    Feb 10, 2010
    Looks like a moth
     
  19. Dax

    Dax Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 29, 2012
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    god damn, when I saw it live I didn't notice that Eiji was so poor on that header too. But I kinda forgive him, he made tons of saves anyway...
     
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  20. Teufelhundt2106

    Teufelhundt2106 New Member

    Nov 2, 2013
    Honestly i would like to see this team with a 4-1-4-1 with aoyama as the defensive mid
     
  21. uhdfkwncvbgtyhu89

    Nov 27, 2010
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Eiji "butter hands" Kawashima
     
  22. Majster2

    Majster2 Member+

    Apr 23, 2010
    Poland
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    That must have been painful for him at the moment as he had the ball on his hand. And it came on the first post...
     
  23. Teufelhundt2106

    Teufelhundt2106 New Member

    Nov 2, 2013
    This was a heartbreaking loss though but I have no doubt, that Zac will right the ship squad wide and tactics wise
     
  24. seolseol

    seolseol Member+

    Apr 26, 2003
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Eiji knows he should've saved that header. He is probably still pissed as hell.
     
  25. Ogasawara

    Ogasawara Member

    Jun 15, 2014
    Club:
    Kashima Antlers
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I don't have any expectations and I don't think that Japan will reach the second round.
    But I want them to play like a team of men, who play with heart and pride and never give up.
     
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