Japan will be just fine. They have great depth and a good coach and chances are there won't be a match and circumstances like this for a while. I watched the game and the first half was very bizarre. Once North Korea managed to score I stopped watching because I knew they would stall, hack, and park the bus until the end, plus it was 3am for me and I was sleepy. The match went exactly the way PRK wanted, they were motivated by pride and politics and generated chaos and it worked against a team that had not much to play for and was just there to comply with the formality, as indicated in previous posts. Let them celebrate this win that is only significant to them. A loss to a lower quality team is always a disappointment but this was a meaningless match which if anything gives the coach pointers on how to deal with certain situations and teams, and will make the team even stronger. Plus they got out of there without significant injuries.
Tulio and Kazuyuki Toda at the back distributing cartwheel kicks and elbows. I bet they won't try outjumping us for a while. Seriously Maeda was bullied so much that I don't know if he will be able to walk tomorrow. I don't think the CB would have got away with that in a regular game. We definitely can't play dirty and it's a good thing we won't have to in the next round.
what a great perfomance by the ref as well ne? LOL there were quite a few K-1 WORLD MAX moments out there!!
This also proves that Hasebe, along with Endo are the Backbone of Japan's formation. Hasebe did a great job in such a chaotic game, if Endo was there, then we would've gain more possession. With teams like North Korea, we need changes. The physicality of the team is limited. To put it bluntly, we need muscles. Though we did well against several teams, but up on the world stage, there are many type of teams with many different tactics and strategies. We have our own plays, but when stuck that such a situation, we need to be able to handle our opponents while sticking to our game.
http://www.sanspo.com/soccer/news/111117/scc1111170505004-n2.htm 3-4 guards per 8-10-room floors if the hotel watching the team. I agree that you probably can't get much more of an "away-atmosphere".
If only that, then good. Japan weren't carded in their previous game as well. So far in the 3rd Round, I think Konno was YC once, during the Japan v Tajikistan match in Osaka. DPRK was playing like there is no Tomorrow, which is true, since they're eliminated from 2014 WC. And it would've been a truly humiliating to lose to Japan at home in the eyes of their people. They came out with full force, firing on all cylinders and didn't care if they were carded. I also hope there is no injury to our players. Hosogai might had it worse since he took a beating in the first half.