And so I missed not only the final of the U-19 AFC Cup, but also today's friendly vs South Africa: this one, though, was frankly a little too early for me in Europe; I could have considered waking up so early for an important match, not necessarily WWC or Olympic Games level, but anyway a little more meaningful: no chance that I could have woken up at 5:00 on a Sunday for a scrimmage vs South Africa. Well, ok, it didn't actually count as a "goal scored", but we have all always felt like Saki had already put an important ball in the net for NT, didn't we? Yes, it was. I am going to watch highlights from the U-19 AFC final match. In your opinion, guys, is it worth watching the whole game (while knowing the score in advance)? Was it a quality enough game to justify it? I do wonder if the team Ikeda has in his hand is good enough for him to repeat at World level. Girls from this group didn't do very well at U-17 WWC level, but it must be said that the situation had been very particular, with Kusunose's resignation happening just weeks ahead of the competition. I am quite sure that, player by player, the U-20 WWC team from 2018 is better quality as a group than the current one (as it's shown by the fact that there are many players from that team, the likes of Ueki, Takarada, Endo, Minami, who have already broken through at senior level), so I am very curious to see if Ikeda is so good to achieve similar results with a less powerful team.
I have a little different opinion. The former U20 had a lot of individual stars as you say, and this U20 has maybe only one, Takahashi. But as a team, this one is great; speedy transition from attack to defence, passing speed from DFs to FWs, accurate trapping technique, and enormous movement and so on. I don't think the current Young Nadeshiko will win the title again next year, but I'm really looking forward to watching this team's fighting against strong opponents.
My problem is not that Endo is a Beleza player. Beleza are the best club team in Japan by a long way, so they should have a lot of players in the national team. But for me the problem is that Jun Endo does not play at left back for Beleza. If she did It would be a different story. She plays on the wing, so maybe she could become a good left back. The modern game is about fullbacks pushing up and getting forward; she is a forward so it could work. But for me that is something she should be doing at club level first, not at international level. Or am I crazy for thinking that? As you said it is experimenting for experiments sake.
I agree. They played smart football as well. In the matches you could see them thinking their way around defensive problems. They played some interesting and skilful football. Below is a link to an article about Australia's thrashing at the hands of South Korea. I draw attention to this paragraph. https://thewomensgame.com/news/3-things-we-learned-young-matildas-v-south-korea-533713 Is Australia's domestic league that good? Or are my countrywomen delusional? I have no idea, because I have only watched highlights from some matches.
You are mostly right, but in Olympics we have only 18 members. So players who can play in various positions are desirable. I think this experiment is a preparation for possible emergent situations.
It was 5am.I didn't make my point clearly.I agree absolutely that the point is that she doesn't play LB I meant to make the point that Takakua is Beleza orientated at the expense of other genuine LB's in the league. Given a choice of picking a n others LB or trying to fit yet another Beleza player into the team Takakura will always choose the later. I am a 'green' but was Doko in this squad because of her outstanding play this season or because she happens to play for NTV Beleza. (it was very early and it's been a busy Nadeshiko weekend)
I did not know that. I thought it was twenty-one like the world cup. It does make more sense. Endo as a third back up after Sameshima and Miyagawa. I am assuming Miyagawa is injured. I should not rant so much, before getting all the facts.
I also found another part of that article quite interesting, where it says: "We didn't have to field a second-string lineup and play an impractically defensive, long-ball system against the Japanese, resulting in a 7-0 loss". It seems to confirm that Australia gave up the semifinal vs Japan in advance by fielding a sort of B-team, but why on earth they felt it was a correct move to do that when they were playing for a WWC spot is beyond me.
It has been busy. I was not having a go at you and you are absolutely right. I think I sound angry when I write. Anyway, it turns out that they only take eighteen to the olympics, so knowing that, it makes a lot more sense to try Endo at left back. I believe Miyagawa and Sameshima are both injured at the moment. Regarding Takakura, I agree she does seem to have green filtered glasses and maybe gives chances too easily to some Beleza players. I think if Doko was playing for any other team she would not be in the squad, but she plays for Beleza, so we do not know. From what I have seen of her she seems like a good player, but not so much better than other defenders. As you say it does feel sometimes that the default setting is Beleza for choosing players.
Maybe they were tired? Give them a break to go all out against South Korea. Against Young Nadeshiko Australia were way worse, though. I agree with the article. At least go down being positive.
Yes, I was laughing when I read this article earlier as well. It only proves how little knowledge writer has about WoSo outside of W-League/NWSL.
And that is never a good thing because you scrap international competition within a squad that needs it from the moment you favor players from a same club. Joachim Löw did that with Germany by heavily favoring Bayern players, and look where this is leading him since before the 2018 World Cup. Bayern players are letting him down. If Takakura is not any more careful and mindful of the necessity for internal competition, what happened to Löw and Germany is what could happen to Nadeshiko Japan.
Question... What is the crowd chant that is always heard at Nadeshiko games? Two words....sounds like...."ready go"... if it was English
In case any of you is interested, Minori Chiba is now a youtuber Here is her channel, where she talks (in perfect japanese) about her football adventure at Córdoba https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsApEO1EIf2zPjEB4IqUU0A She also has a blog that I think may be interesting if you want to know more about japanese players in spanish 1st and 2nd div. I link this post talking about her experience at the U17 2008 World Cup https://note.mu/mino18/n/n7bf6948a8351
Takakura used her usual 4-4-2 in the first half, but changed to a 4-2-3-1 in the second half. I'll post here my ratings: 18. Yamashita 6.0 2. Shimizu 6.0 4. Kumagai 7.5 [MVP] 22. Doko 6.0 19. Endo 6.0 7. Nakajima 6.0 17. Miura 6.0 16. Miyagawa 6.0 14. Hasegawa 6.5 8. Iwabuchi 6.5 9. Sugasawa 6.5 10. Momiki 5.5 6. Sugita 6.0 23. Miyake 6.0 11. Kobayashi 5.5 12. Naomoto -- 25. Ueki -- (5.5 = below average; 6.0 = OK; 6.5 = good)
You may be suspicious because I'm a Beleza fan, but Doko was superb this season. Minami is apparently superior in strength, but Doko may be the best CB in Nadeshiko League in ball passing sense. Of course, there would be good CBs in other clubs, but for Doko's honor's sake, she definitely deserves this call.
This is it - who'll be Korea's champions? The final 2nd leg is kicking off soon at Incheon's Namdong Asiad Rugby Stadium, 10am GMT / 19:00 JST - Incheon v Suwon. No, their U19s were all in college or school, according to the squad lists.
Match underway and it's 0-0 at 20'. For records: this time Suwon is playing in blue and Incheon in red (in the first leg it was the opposite).
I watched the match yesterday while working and the sound was down. It turns out that they talked about some of my grievances in the commentary. Not to worry. I also did not notice Miyagawa in midfield . They said they were looking for Endo and Miyagawa to play two or three positions. I did not watch the whole match again, just the first thirty minutes and I did not hear any mention of Sameshima. You would probably have to give me an exact time when they are chanting, so I can hear it. But traditionally they just chant "Nippon".
Didn't have the time to rewatch the whole match yet instead: I only watched the goal scenes and little more. Sawa and Iwashimizu sounded quite excited for Kumagai's goal. As seen on the players, the jersey were indeed looking even more awful than I had imagined: I wonder how one can come up with the idea of such a design. Where in Japan did they play? The stadium by the sea looked neat.
Chants right from kick off the game...could be mistaken for ..."here we go " or "ready go" if you were listening to an English crowd (my Japanese friend says she would consider trying to teach me the language if I was sixty years younger then I wouldn't have to trouble you guys)
This half-time montage of all the season's goals and the words "SHOOTIIIIIIIING GOOOOOL" is making me happy. If Suwon were to score, there's no away goal rule in Korean women's football, I'm pretty sure... Does Japan have it? (away goals?)