Nakata was fairly precocious. Very mature for his age and peaked early - besides the alternatives back then were crappier.
For that matter what's the state of Japan's youth NTs? Google shows that there used to be several threads here in the past years. Reason I'm asking is that e.g. for Germany one could claim a direct correlation between players winning a tournament in a youth NT and then later having the spirit to carry the NT to a tournament victory as well. Six players (Neuer, Boateng, Hummels, Höwedes, Khedira, Özil) of the WC winning team already played together winning the U21 2009 EC, same might happen in the long run with this year's U19 EC win (previous youth coordinator Sammer called it giving young players an early taste of achievement they then would want to repeat).
You can make that same correlation with Spain, Brazil, and Italy. It isn't just Germany when nations have done well in International tournaments (however, Mexico would be the only exemption).
I'm sure there are more examples, I just picked the one I actually knew without having to search for all the data. So what's the state of Japan's youth NTs?
The silence sure is deafening. Answering the question on my own, the last notable results were 2006 (AFC championnship U19 runner-up, U16 winner, anyone know the rosters of these?) rsp. 1999 (U20 WC runner-up)? And the next U19 AFC championship is 9–23 October? Seems oddly late into the season.
I thought that as a fan, you wanted to see your team win every competition they could (especially one as important as the Asian Cup). Apparently it shifted to preparing the a World Cup, how exciting. There's no better prep than winning Akitod.
... Italy ? Can't even remember when they last played an U20 or U17 world cup lol, or the olympics. Their youth result aren't exactly impressing anyway: P. En enero se juega la Copa de Asia, donde Japón es la actual campeona. ¿Ganar o ganar? R. Japón ganó tres de las cuatro últimas y somos uno de los tres gallitos, junto a Australia, que es la anfitriona, y Corea del Sur. Pero sí, claro, la idea es refrendar el título y tener así acceso a la Copa Confederaciones de Rusia 2017. P. Sin embargo, a usted le han fichado para ir al Mundial 2018 y pasar de octavos, cosa que Japón nunca ha hecho. ¿No le da vértigo jugarse todo en cuatro partidos? R. No, ya estoy acostumbrado a hacerlo en México, aunque allí apenas tuve procesos de un año y poco en las dos ocasiones, 2002 y en el Mundial 2010. En Japón, el Mundial 2018 será el final de mi trabajo. Son tres o cuatro partidos vitales, pero ese será el final del ciclo, no el único objetivo. guess Aguirre will go full force at the Asian Cup, as he should...
Translation from Google Translate: Q. In January playing the Asian Cup, where Japan is the current champion. To win or gain? A. Japan won three of the last four seasons and are one of the three cockerels, with Australia, to be the host, and South Korea. But yes, of course, the idea is to endorse the title and thus have access to the 2017 confederations cup in Russia. Q. But you would have signed for the World Cup 2018 and move from eighth, which Japan has ever made. Are not you dizzy played all four games? A. No, because I'm used to do it in Mexico, but there just had a year and processes little on two occasions, 2002 and 2010 World Cup. In Japan, the 2018 World Cup will be the end of my work. Three or four vital games, but that will be the end of the cycle, not the only objective.
Three or four vital games, but that will be the end of the cycle, not the only objective. 3 or 4 is this like saying we will play the group stages and maybe top 16? Aspirations please
yeah but half our entire team were in their 30s already your players are still not even in their prime yet. im sure japan can strive to achieve both(winning AC2015 and having a good WC in 2018)
Come on, you know that Australia NT will be the first pretender to the Asian Cup they'll play in their own soil, that's granted and you know that Japan never beat Australia easy and after/before the AFC2011 final never did at all (or I missed something?) Australia Asian Cup 2015 will be tougher than PetroDollar Cup 2011 especially cuz Japan has everything to lose (dunno if this makes sense in english). Add a new completly out of habit manager, the open wound of the last WC and a not so balanced situation for our main players (compared to 2011). It will be an harsh tournment for JNT and that's why (I hope) it will be epic too.
As long as its top 3 and we find some new players in the key positions of CM & CB and an impression of what direction Aguirre's heading.
I still think this should be used for younger players at least in the group stages, there is no need for Kagawa and Honda and the regulars to be there. Increasing the pool of players that has the ability to be in the final 23 is important.
he just said it's 3 or 4 key matches... well maybe he could've even added a 5 all right but come on =p btw Gordon do you understand that the 23 man squad can't be changed during the tournament right? The "younger players", or the 2nd line team will definitely play against the likes of Palestine anyway to let the team rest and that's good already, but it has to be the strongest 23-man squad. But to say that there is no need of the likes of Kagawa or Honda against Iraq and Jordan is quite an understimating. We're playing to have a chance at the Confederations. There will be plenty of friendlies to make tests.
Last Asian Cup was also the time when Konno got his spot in the NT secured cause Tulio/Nakazawa were both overlooked for the next generation. At a time when Nakazawa/Tulio had just done awesome in the 2010 FWC and pretty much had an untouchable reputation then.
Tulio was not overlooked, he even made the preconvocation squad but was injured. They wouldn't have worked in 4-2-3-1 anyway.
While everybody was busy celebrating, were you already making projections and all ? Winning is fun you know.
Ironic coming from somebody who can't even remember what happened. And yes, Havenaar has still proven to be a better player than Okuso.