My favorite passage of play in INAC vs Lyon - from 26:26 to 27:05 (game time) in the first half. Poor Necib - It was "Tori-kago" as the Japanese say. Total 21 passes (most of them were first touch passes) and it was a shame Goebel-Yanez's last pass to Ohno wasn't quite good enough... That's how to create the right tempo for INAC.
I admire Hoshikawa's desire for a "better" game. The future is to outplay the opposition and leaving Becky in for today's victory because she is a strong defender would compromise the style of play for the future. You always hear coaches saying, "we want to win a certain way" but end up winning ugly, anyway(the lure of the actual win veering coaches off the path of an elegant win). That being said, the NT is only about winning. That is the difference between club soccer and the NT. Barcelona has all year to perfect it's style and it's academy has an entire childhood to prepare the players. The NT has a training camp and then the goal is to win. Hoshikawa would only be a successful NT coach if the club coaches in Japan did their part in creating type of players that can play the game he wants. That's a tough task considering Spain can't produce Barca type players for the men's NT. The stubbornness to style is a sign of greatness, though. I would have left Becky in during the Cup final and the Mobcast final and eked out a one goal win. Franco would not run over Becky like Takase(a forward/midfielder) for that goal to tie the match. The academy, other national team players, and time together usually explain why club teams are better than national teams. On a completely different subject, since I've now watched the latest Hanaesta video about ten times, can't we see INAC buy Shibata and play her like Messi? You don't have to replace Bev with another Ibrahimovic type player. It seems logical that Hoshikawa should go the Barca path and play his 4-3-3 with Shibata playing the 9(false 9).
You're both welcome in our little chase for the culprit... Although Micol is being elusive with the name... Anyway, I must admit that, as much as Saki wasn't less beautiful with her head bandage in 2011 WWC (as seen in Gromit06's avatar), she keeps her charm even with a black eye... (Photo from Virany's tumblr)
I hope that's true... I think she needs the change of scenery. Injuries hasn't helped, but her development in the national team is a bit stagnated even though she's exceptional in the domestic competitions when she plays. Not sure what she's gonna do about her education though. She's still got a couple of years left in Uni, I think.
Sorry I can't remember what club there is in Hoffenheim? Is it in Frauen-Bundesliga or second division?
I don't know why I missed this, but after doing a little research, their next league doesn't sound like it's built around the idea of developing players anyway; be it domestic, or foreign. Alongside the USSF, it seems that the Mexican and Canadian football Feds are also paying their players to participate in this, like it was a new variation on the relentless camp systems all three of these nations already have in place. So if Sawa has no intention of staying with the national team, and therefore has no interest in continuing her commercial success, I could see another stint in the U.S. making sense for her; but the others... Arsenal Ladies destroyed Barca over two legs in Europe, but I have always felt that Ohno was the one Nadeshiko player who would honestly benefit most from time playing abroad.
According to Kawasumi's blog, Ji So-Yun will receive a year worth of these - 365 of them. Not sure who would eat this junk everyday but at least Kawasumi doesn't have to cook for her anymore. This "a year worth of something" prize is quite common in Japan, and it does make me smile... Oh the ones she gets will be smaller in size in case you are wondering...
I believe they are crisps/chips that look like French fries. Whatever they are, sort of the things you don't want to read the ingredients if you are going to eat them.
Since you're talking about it, I fell for Saki right at that moment, asking myself : "But who is this Japanese girld during the national hymn before the match vs Nez Zealand ?? She must be so important for the team to be called for the first match with her head bandaged !"
http://www.nikkansports.com/soccer/news/p-sc-tp0-20121128-1052641.html Mana Iwabuchi joining 2nd division Hoffenheim in January.
Ok, so it looks like it's a done deal. Apparently they have a good chance for promotion. Manadona will join the team from January after the Empress Cup if the medical checks out. She visited there in October and stayed there for a week to check their facilities etc. The report says Manadona felt playing in abroad could be an option after seeing Ogimi's recent development. The offer came right after Olympics when she started thinking about the move to abroad.
Today's unreliable news: Sorry for her fans, but Beleza Coach Noda seems to retire after the Empress's Cup. Her successor may be Teratani, the Menina's drill sergeant.
I'll have a heart attack with all these news... But life should go on... -_- All the b€st is in G€rmany...
Players due to graduate this year. I can't get concrete information on Nittaidai, Shizuoka and the JSC yet, so they'll have to wait. Based on the players' ages I can guess who's not going to be graduating this year. Tokiwagi Gakuen: First team players: Hayashizaki Mei Horii Mizuki Matsuura Nagisa Michigami Ayaka Okamori Kasane Takamura Chisato Girls who played a few times only: Kitsuyama Yui Tanaka Yasuko Yahata Asuka JFA Academy: Kojima Hikaru Narumiya Yui Sunaga Manami Yamamori Anna Yoshitake Manami Hoyo Sukurabu: Katsuo Hitomi Ono Miyuu FC Takahashi (Fourth years): Koike Ayano Matsushita Fumiko Murakawa Saki Noma Fumika Takahashi Chiho Waseda (Fourth years): Kawaguchi Matsuri Kikuchi Rikako Koshikawa Yumi Onodera Misaki Suzuki Nozomi Tanimoto Haruna Yagi Ayaka Yoshitake Momoka