Perhaps or maybe not, you just never know, but thank you for the kind words. Although I can't speak for the rest of us here at bsk, imo I'm not expecting us to make it out of the group stage, and realistically our chances of even making it to the quarters are pretty low. The least I'm hoping we'd do is for us to at least pull a repeat of 'Kazan Miracle', because if we're gonna go out, we should at least do it in style/with a bang. By the way, do you think the likes of Soma would make it to the final 23 roster? Your team is pretty much stacked with the majority playing in Europe let alone the midfield department, but I feel he's an important role at least as a backup incase something happens with one of the main starters. I would mention Joel Fujita as well, but I think he'll get called up for the Asian Cup instead. Also, it's very unfortunate on what happened to Miyaichi, and he's been recently called up to the senior team in what seemed like a long time as well. Hope he fully recovers well and a speedy one at that.
I personally think that Soma should be part of the team even though I much prefer Mitoma. We have a good team but not a good coach, besides I think it's a pity that he called Nakajima more... But the biggest problem of Japan is the attack as always! I would have liked to have Son heung min in Japan. I don't speak for everyone but I personally support Japan as well as Korea during the world cup, I reject all the political and historical rivalries; Because let's not forget that in the eyes of the soccer world, whether it is Japanese or Korean, we are underestimated!
It's always frustrating when you have a pool full of quality attackers, but they fail to finish the final third. We've been facing those issues for quite some time also, and mind you Son won't always score as he would at Tottenham due to the huge difference in quality between club and national team, but yes we're very lucky to have an absolute gem of player of his calibre, and not to mention Kim Min-jae as well . By the way, coming from a rival perspective, I really don't have much issues with Moriyasu as your manager, in fact I think he's done pretty well coming from a domestic name, second to that I would have to say is Okada even though he had a rough start. Care to elaborate on what your issues are with him (Doesn't have to be detailed, it can be simple)? And, yes asian teams will always be underestimated and or overlooked by a lot of fans and casual spectators, but most European and South American teams already know how strong and capable both our teams are especially at the world stage. World Cup will always be difficult no matter who you play against, which is why I like this edition's group draw more since there are no easy groups this time around. And, as long as you keep playing against the best, the more experience you gain, and the better you'll only get. Yes, it's every four years and depending teams can change, but still it's a lot to gain from.
My concern with Moriyasu is that he plays too much defensive soccer, and despite that we still manage to take many goals... In the past Japanese played a short pass soccer which worked well; maybe his defensive tactics will be productive against teams that play the game like Germany and Spain. Otherwise about your team, there is also a lot of talent apart from Son. I like Kim min jae a lot. I think he is better than Tomiyasu because unlike him, he doesn't get injured all the time. By the way, why Bento doesn't take Lee kang in ? It seems to me that he is a good player!
Japan has so much talent and depth. Their problem is how to get the team working and how to play. It will either be success or disaster at the wc.
If we're primarily referring to the Japan of the Zaccheroni era, then yes Japan was primarily comprised of speed, short one touch passes, and fast attacking/counterattacking plays with Honda as the main engine of the team. Japan did display those skills under Halilhodzic as well, but imo they did better under Zaccheroni, and at the 2010 Fifa World Cup in South Africa under Okada is where it all started imo. Japan under Troussier and perhaps Osim they played more counterattacking football, whilst Zico tried to bring more of the Brazilian style out of Japan. However, one thing that primarily stood out to me about the current JNT from youth to senior level side is how well their high pressure/pressing game is. In all four consecutive major 3-0 losses to your side, our team completely succumbed to the high pressure that your players have created/built, which ironically has been going on for the entire 90 minutes, something I definitely didn't see much of in the past. Imo, this could be a major key component/could actually work out well against the likes of Spain and or Germany, but then again those teams have physically strong players, so how well your players deal with pressing will be an issue to take note since it could end up backfiring with them tiring out very easily and quickly. As for Lee Kang-in, Bento did call him up roughly 7 times, but within those callups he's been benched 5 times while playing only 6 times, and within those 6 appearances, he was mainly subbed in at the very last minutes of the match (I believe there was roughly 3 matches where he was in the starting lineup). The thing with Bento however is that he tends to select players based on who fits his style of football, I mean as do with a lot of the other managers as well, but in Bento's case he would still select a fringe/mediocre player over a player who's not only in form but who is also good. Like the EAFF E-1 Football Championship was a good example of that, where the squad was comprised of out of form players over players who were actually in form that not only should've been called up and tested, but would've made an impact as well. Even with the u23 team the issue remained with the misuse of Lee Kang-in in a 0 top formation when he should be given a more attacking role where he could roam freely in the attacking third. In short Bento doesn't really seem to value Lee Kang-in, and instead thinks the likes of mediocre players like Na Sang-ho are a valuable asset to the team when they're really not.
In contrast they don't have much issues as we do, but the irony is that it can also be a hit or a miss for us as well. In our current state we cannot afford to be fiddling with testing other players and or try to build a plan B or C, we simply have no time for that as it's far too late with the WC starting in less than four months to go. Our only option is to go all in with our plan A being our starters with Son and Kim Min-jae as the primary source of the team, and we simply cannot afford to lose them to injury as well due to it being a huge disaster for us. Will we have a tough time at the WC this year? obviously yes, but can we make a surprise/create a shocking performance? still technically yes. Again, as long as we don't lose Son, Kim Min-jae, Hwang Hee-chan, Hwang In-beom, Lee Jae-sung etc. we should be OK, but we seriously need Lee Kang-in pronto.
Phony cliche civility bothers me. Japan keep beating Korea because they finally figured out the recipe that many middle eastern countries have known for 30 years. Japan are much better skillwise than these countries so it looks new and genuine but it is nothing new nor genuine. Fouls, tough fouls, but know how far you can go. AFC referees are helpfull. Their bias in favor of Japan is quite obvious. Their bias in favor of Arabs is even more lopsided. But it does not always work that well because they are not nearly as good. Those old enough should remember how the Argentinian coach for Saudis very confidently stated that his team would beat Korea in 2005 and they did TWICE, how Queiroz did the same. how the UAE coach said the same earlier this year. They all knew something and they all have the same recipe. Play tough, pull shirts, punch and poke the opponents, all this in the secure knowledge that if the referee sees you he will give you a first yellow at the max. Hiddink said that the biggest problem for Korean players is that they are naive. No one in Korea figured out what it meant. Beause for Koreans soccer is a beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeautiful sport where one aspires for a Confucian ideal of playing fair and accepting referee's decision. When Korean players fall short of this ideal(they often did as Koreans are a tough aggressive people by nature... until a few years ago when they became docile and social justice warriors.) fans criticize and dismember them like vultures. The Korean players wince and are frustrated because a sure foul in their mind is not called. And they keep looking at the referee after they fall. At this point pontifications from fans start; you should keep playing instead of waiting for referee's favor. It has some valid point but is mainly just a cliche, meaningless moral sermon. This further contributes to their timidity and frustrates them even more. When the opponets are shell-shocked, you can play with more confidence and even your passing plays look first class. which feeds into the opponents being even more frustarted. There is something like Wokism among Korean fans. Yeah blaming referee is the easiest route and is often unsportsman. But it does not mean you should never blame the referee. And AFC referees are quite masterful in superficially fair officiating but very calculated to give one side a decisive advantage. Korea are doomed under Bento but that does not mean the Japanese are all that much talented. In June after they defeated Korea 3-0 they were beaten 0-2 by Uzbeks. As even the Japanese press noted there are very few on this squad who will make the WC squad, despite this "historic" win. For Korean youths the desire to be seen as even-handed and fair is great. But the effort is mainly phony and cliche. Often rabid nationalism is ugly but not everything anti-nationalistic is beautiful.
Oh, it's not hard to understand such a rudimentary tirade. My confusion lies in why you think "behavioral analysis" is an appropriate and accurate assessment of our team's weaknesses. There is a difference between a symptom and an illness.
you nailed it man. I really hate the idea in which we all should play "fair and square" rather than being "dirty". I really despise those who bring this BS time after time. Let me tell some harsh reality to them: Even World Cup title contenders like Brazil, Germany, Spain, and Argentina have played "tough, pull shirts, punch and poke the opponents" just as you mentioned. I can't really understand those who still blame Huh Jung-moo's tough challenge against Diego Maradona in 1986. Well Huh got paid for his challenge with Yellow Card; he suffered consequences. But his so-called "dirty tackling" somehow limited Maradona's creativity to certain degree and gave us room to retreat and fight back. Of course this does not mean we should just play 90 minutes of Taekwondo. I am just pointing out to the fact that we can never win big while being so naive.
Wonder who will become KNT coach after Bento. Worried we may take two steps back hiring an old school Korean coach who doesn’t turn on the AC in the bus to adjust for a friendly in Iran
LKI and YHJ seriously need to get picked this time over shitty players who don't even know how to pass.
I just rewatched the friendly highlights for Egypt and Chile. My god, Son vs Egypt made me want to barf . He really think he’s Ki Sungyong . If Son plays this way in the World Cup, thinking he needs to drop down and dominate the ball, we are beyond screwed. On the other hand, Son was fantastic vs Chile, getting the ball in deep position and making runs in behind - he was just unlucky with finishing. This leads me to the conclusion that Son cannot play with Hwang Uijo (as in vs Egypt) as Son tends to try to play make while HUJ occupies the striker space. Instead, Hwang Heechan and Son should be the two-top as their pace seems to cause chaos generating more chances (as in vs Chile). Unfortunately HHC seems like he’s gonna be benched and come into the WC unconfident and in terrible form, which sucks because he has shit technique but gets lucky and scores a lot when he’s confident. Still, he’s the best option and one of the few Koreans who has a world-class attribute (pace + strong body + directness). The next question is who plays behind them. I think Kangin’s a great candidate considering he’s actually one of our most in-form players in Europe. Hopefully he can earn Bento’s trust. His technique is world-class and is a player you want to have the ball. He lacks experience, athleticism, workrate and he’s not great when it comes to moving without the ball. Which is why these attributes must be represented in the midfield 3 behind him. I think the best midfield 3 is Jung Wooyoung, Kwon Changhoon, and Kim Donghyun. Jung Wooyoung offers a veteran presence and solid distribution. He plays for fckin Al-Sadd but at least he’s 6’1”. Yes this is mid and unsexy but he’s been underrated for KNT post-KSY. I’m shocked to see Kwon Changhoon has scored 0 goals this season but he consistently is positive for KNT - creative dribbler who pushes up the pitch with the ball and offers some goal-threat. Plus he’s got a thick sturdy body that won’t get bullied while still being able to move well. Lastly is Kim Donghyun, the Gangwon captain who has 3 caps. But if we want to have a prayer of being solid defensively, we need a player like him who has good workrate and covers a lot of ground. Tbh I haven’t watched him play much but this is the archetype needed to succeed. Then the defense is an utter shit show. I’m optimistic with a KYG-KMJ duo but this is not the quickest CB pairing. All our fullbacks we can choose from are a hot pile of suck. Who is this Lee Ki-je guy who has 11 assists in Kleague this season? Lets use him cus we all know Kim Jinsu, who’s mid anyway, is gonna get injured and miss the WC. And for RB please no more Lee Yong. Lets just stick Um Wonsang there since he’s at least fast. And do we even have a #1 goalkeeper? Whoever Bento chooses is fine I guess since they’re all mid.
Lee Kang-in getting selected is 50/50, 50 in the sense where he will get selected but with minimal to no playing time (As that's been the usual case for him under Bento), and 50 for not getting called up at all. As for Yang Hyun-jun, probably won't even bat an eye. Seriously though, Na Sang-ho is hot garbage that has no business with the national team (As do with a lot of the other players).
As I've stated previously, with 이용수 back as our technical director, the chances of us getting a decent foreign manager is slim to bar non, and even if we do end up going the foreign route, it'll just be another Stielike-esque manager. We'll likely go back domestic imo, that being the return of Hong Myung-bo to which I personally don't care as long as it's not Hwang Sun-hong. Hwang Ui-jo+Son was never a good combo/pairing from the start time and time again, and Hwang Ui-jo is garbage as a lone striker as well. Son is better up front with Cho Gue-sung as his support, Cho is everything what Kim Shin-wook wish he was/wish he could do, also a striker whom Stielike ever wanted LOL (Poor Stielike); better ball distributions, has speed and power, can win aerial duels, can open up space by drawing out defenders, can score goals. Our midfield options particularly the CAM is pretty stacked, we've got Lee Kang-in, Jeong Woo-young Jr., Lee Jae-sung, and Kwon Chang-hoon(Must get back in form though), then we have Hwang Hee-chan who can play a multiplayer role. The defensive/central midfield area is the issue though, Jeong Woo-young Sr. being our only defensive midfield option while Hwang In-beom our only cm. I do agree with your opinion on Kim Dong-hyun, but I highly doubt Bento would select him, and then we have Baek Seung-ho who from time to time left holes at the midfield which created massive defensive vulnerabilities. Son Jun-ho is another option, but far too late to be testing with the WC right around the corner, just take into account of how much of a disaster Kwon Kyung-won at dm was. Lee Ki-je>Hong Chul, Kim Jin-su is seriously cursed getting plagued with an injury before the WC like the last cycle. Lee Yong is old and garbage but watch Bento still select him along with Kim Tae-hwan, and Kim Moon-hwan's form really dipped since transferring from LA to Jeonbuk, our RB area is fcuked. As for our first choice GK, Bento favors Kim Seung-gyu over Cho Hyun-woo. Kim Seung-gyu>Cho Hyun-woo at ball distributions plus faster feet, while Cho Hyun-woo has faster hands and reflects that warrants him with better saves. Can't go wrong with either, although both are mediocre at PK.
I don’t mind Hong Myungbo, I’m sure he’s improved as a manager since 2014 with his experience managing club sides. But unfortunately, it looks like we can only downgrade from Bento from now on, despite his flaws. Is Kim Jinsu really dealing with an injury right now or are you just predicting ? He really is cursed.
I can only speak of his performance and results as the manager for Ulsan, but he is definitely doing well this season. I'm also surprised that he's still sticking with his long time coaching partner and physio Ikeda. But, yeah I agree and I've been saying that once Kim Pan-gon left the technical director post, things were only gonna go down and backwards. Also, my bad regarding Kim Jin-su, I was thinking of some other time he got injured. Mental lapse lol.