Official 2015 Nadeshiko Japan Thread [R] - なでしこジャパン(英語スレッド)

Discussion in 'Japan' started by blissett, Jan 1, 2015.

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  1. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Probably if they'd managed to tune up their defence this way earlier, they could have had a word for the title, but their Exciting Series' performance was abysmal.

    I agree that the veterans still feel like they're the core of the INAC team and like they should still be the core of the National Team. Qualification for Rio 2016, with just two places at stake and Australia, China and Koreas competing, will be very hard and Sasaki can't really afford too many experimental things (it's not a case that he said that he had planned to call Sawa :rolleyes:). I know that a lot of people on this thread probably won't agree with me, but I guess the right way to qualify is relying on the veterans: then there will be three years, from 2016 to WWC 2019 to re-juvenate the team and to grow new talents, probably under a different coach from Sasaki, but Olympics will be an affair for the veterans, their swan-song if you want (but hopefully as much successful as Tchaikovsky's one :giggle:).
     
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  2. KAPIJXM

    KAPIJXM Member+

    Nov 18, 2011
    Illa de Arousa,Spain
    Club:
    Celta de Vigo
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Old rockers never die [emoji16]
     
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  3. hirohiro

    hirohiro Member+

    Dec 29, 2011
    Brighton, UK
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    The record attendance of the Empress cup was just above 6,000 before this match. I'm not sure even the height of the 2011 fever, they've ever got even near this kind of attendance in a club match.
     
  4. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I did remember quite clearly that in 2011, just after WWC, some of the matches had surpassed by far the 20.000 peak, and probably it is possible to find proofs of that by searching the older incarnations of this thread.

    A quick check shows that, according to Full Bloom Guidebook, there were at least a pair of matches (involving INAC) who beat today's match record (that's anyway impressive and remains as Empress' Cup/All Japan's Championship all-time record): INAC Kobe Leonessa-Okayama Yunogo Belle, played on 30th or 31th of July of 2011, had an attendance of 21.236; one week after that, Albirex Niigata Ladies-INAC Kobe Leonessa from 6th or 7th of August had an even more impressive attendance, probably all-time Nadeshiko League record: 24.546 (by the way, if I remember well, two draws vs Albi, where at the time Mizuho Sakaguchi was playing alongside Megumi Kamionobe, were the only points that INAC Kobe Leonessa lost on that season). For comparison, the last game INAC had played at home in that year before leaving to WWC, was vs Iga FC Kunoichi on June 2011 and had an attendance of... 448! :confused: Just before the World Cup, Nadeshiko League games had attendances that would be embarassing for Challenge League games these days, all of them way under 1.000.

    It's quite impressive that, apparently, the record attendance for both Nadeshiko League and Empress' Cup, is now an Albi-INAC, one from 2011 and one from 2015. :) And both involve Sawa as the main hero: the captain coming back from the triumph of WWC, back in 2011; the veteran retiring from a stellar career, now in 2015. It looks like women's football in Japan needs Sawa to make records. :p
     
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  5. hirohiro

    hirohiro Member+

    Dec 29, 2011
    Brighton, UK
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I agree that the game was not the most exciting one. It was a bit disappointing actually. But 20,000 turning up and Sawa scoring and wining the cup...
    That are some figures! I thought those matches were something just above 10,000 after 2011. Even the L-Classico a year or two years later after a big campaign only got something like 15,000.

    One thing about Albi though, they have J-League team and being outside Tokyo, they got passionate local support. So they may not come to women's team week in week out, but when the occasion comes like this they tend to get good support.

    On the other hand, Beleza had never had huge support in terms of supporters actually coming to stadium. Probably lot to do with lack of sense of locality. INAC has regular support but no way near that the number those J-League teams can bring like Albi, Urawa or Sendai in a special occasions.

    I hear there is a plan that Nadeshiko league to go professional in the near future. I just don't know how viable it is with the current state. Surely it is not possible financially with current TV deals and attendance. Some teams may disappear or just play in the lower league where it keeps amateur status, and Nadeshiko league could be left only with those teams that men's team can subsidises financially. I'm interested to know what the JFA and Nadeshiko league's plans are....
     
  6. hirohiro

    hirohiro Member+

    Dec 29, 2011
    Brighton, UK
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Miyamoto and Yano were the commentators on this match. Miyamoto had a lump in her throat and was quite emotional after Sawa's post match interview.
     
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  7. zdrstvte

    zdrstvte Member+

    Aug 27, 2012
    Club:
    West Ham United FC
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  8. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Today's unreliable news:

    I read that Inac is interested in getting Kamionobe.
     
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  9. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    News from Urawa:

    Suzuki Rina will go to Nagano, Takeuchi Nozomi Bunnys and Kishikawa leave (unknown yet).
     
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  10. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Well, she had at least one match this season where she was good (don't remember exactly which one), but in fact she had scarce playing time in INAC. Wish her good luck back in Korea. :)

    Mmm, ambitious plan to replace Sawa... :sneaky: I am curious to know what will happen: in the last year Kamio always was an Albi's institution. Her leaving would significantly waken the team.
     
  11. Titus Sol

    Titus Sol Member

    Jul 7, 2015
    Club:
    --other--
    Mana was in the toilet when Sawa scored the winning goal :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

    681015867694428161 is not a valid tweet id
     
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  12. INACc4ever

    INACc4ever Member

    Jan 25, 2015
    Club:
    Vancouver Whitecaps
    The dates for the Rio qualification match on home soil.
    _20151228_012346.JPG
    After 2 straight losses, I hope the ladies can bounce back stronger.
     
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  13. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    We all hope so. This tournament will be crucial, and I dare to say it will be so not only for our current NT, but for the whole future of women's football in Japan. Being out of Olympics would be a huge disappointment and could hurt long-term growth-prospects Hirohiro was talking about above (with hints at professionalism).

    Some potential problems: 1) we saw the other day how huge was the support for Sawa; without her, can women's football in Japan keep hoping for similar attendance figures? It can seem silly to claim that a single player can have such a dramatic effect, but we're not talking about just "a player", we're talking about Sawa. Can a Sawa-less NT have the same appeal for supporters, especially if that same NT should fail to qualify for Olympics? o_O; 2) Nadeshiko Japan are currently Asian Champions in charge, vice-Olympic Champions and vice-World Champions: probably most of the supporters (except the hardcore fans, who follow Nadeshiko League and all international matches) take for granted that Japan will qualify, although we, on this thread, know that a dramatic downfall isn't impossibile (DPRK and South Korea recently beat us, Australia was always hard to overcome, China is no slouch either). What would be the effect of an elimination from Rio to a majority of people that are persuaded that Nadeshiko Japan, given their international results, are hands down one of the most powerful women's sides on earth? Can I say "disaffection"? :cautious:

    So, I hope this important qualifier will be prepared very accurately, with some training camps in the next months, and, hopefully, some international friendlies: is there anything scheduled in January/February, before the tournament? If I remember well, no. :( I hope they can squeeze in at least one friendly match: it would be needed to approach this key turning point of whole 2016 Nadehiko Season not too much unprepared... :unsure:

    I hope supporters will turn up to the matches of the qualifier and will make their presence count: Nadeshiko Japan need as much support as possible, the way they had in that famous match from 2004 vs North Korea, the one with Emi Yamamoto, Eriko Arakawa, Mio Ohtani and an half-injured Sawa on the pitch. I remember watching an old video of that whole match, and supporters were chanting out-loud for the full 90', pushing the team to Athens Olympics. We need that kind of support. I half-hope for an explicit plea from Sawa, promoting a huge attendance with a public speech... :cautious:
     
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  14. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    I have a quiz.
    Can you name the current NT players who belonged to Albi?
     
  15. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    #6740 blissett, Dec 28, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2015
    Mmm, I guess there is some kind of trick involved, but I can't help trying to answer anyway... :p

    I assume that, by "current players", you mean players that were called recently, let's say in the current year (this excludes some players, as Yuria Obara for instance, who were called for 2014 Asian Cup). Also, I assume that, by "who belonged", you mean players that aren't in Albi right now (as Megumi Kamionobe or Kana Kitahara).

    So the only two current NT players that I am sure played in Albi some years ago are Mizuho Sakaguchi and Yuri Kawamura (Kawamura was at Albi for long, before changing to JEF, and finally to Vegalta).

    I am sure, given your question, that there must be others, but those most likely were in Niigata before I started following Nadeshiko football in 2011... :)

    Edit: oh, I now remember also Yuika Sugasawa
     
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  16. Sirtel

    Sirtel Member

    Oct 28, 2015
    They would have avoided that meltdown towards the end, but still I think the title was Beleza's this year.
    As for the veterans, that's a long story and I'm not even sure what I want. I will trust Sasaki to get it right.
    Unexpected. Interesting to see where she will go and who will replace her.
    Calm down, Japan will qualify for the Olympics.:D Anyway, I think what's more important is to create a team that will go for gold in the next Olympics which Japan hosts. And probably they will host the next WC as well. These competitions might provide the boost Nadeshiko league needs (going full pro atm doesn't look like a good option for the reason hiro mentioned).
    There is one more, and she was still in Albi after 2011. She had a cool hairstyle back then.
    Also, if EAFF is included, then there is another one.
    Edit: Yes, it's Yuika.
     
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  17. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I remembered of Sugasawa in time. Phew! -_-" :p

    Not sure about the other one from EAFF. :cautious:
     
  18. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    Yes, what I'm thinking of is three of them you mentioned.
    What I wanted to mean from this fact is that Albi has maintained or improved their strength even though they left, so I hope even without Megu they would keep their steady growth.
     
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  19. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    In these years, some good players retired in Urawa. Even if the team wants to be younger, no one knows if it would be good.
    About Kishikawa, although she is strong and sometimes scores unexpected goals, some thinks that the team might work well without her.
    Candidates for her are Nagano, Kuriyama and Fujita.
    Although no one knows what's going on about her at all, it's certain she is still in Urawa.
     
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  20. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    University championship quarterfinal:

    Waseda 2-1 Himeji Dokkyo
    Niigata 2-3 Nittaidai
    Tokuyama 2-1 Mukogawa
    kanagawa 2-0 Shizuoka
     
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  21. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    University championship the second round Niigata (red, Takahashi, Nakamatsu) 2-1 Musatan (white, Sonoda) highlight:

     
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  22. unepomme

    unepomme Member+

    Jan 21, 2010
    Club:
    Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC
    News from Urawa:

    Matsumoto Mamiko, Shikokoshi Yuzuho, Endo Yu and Kizaki Aoi will be promoted to the top team next year.
    Kitagawa Hikaru will join the team next year.
     
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  23. frideswide

    frideswide Member+

    Kumamoto Renaissance FC
    Feb 27, 2014
    København
    Club:
    Brøndby IF
    I think I read there will be two training camps scheduled in Okinawa before the qualifiers, one in Ishigaki Jan 18-26, one on the main island Feb 13-19. I agree the support of the home crowd will be crucial in what looks to be a very competitive tournament.
     
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  24. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Since that's the last day of the year, look out for a shiny new 2016 thread tomorrow. :)

    I'll wait until the new year actually has come in the whole world to implement it, but the format will basically be the same as in the last two years: we're going to put it in the Japan forum and it will have the double-language title, both in English and in Japanese (thank unepomme again for the Japanese version of the title :giggle:).
     

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