Mexico - Japan series hey guys- saw this over at the fifa site: 5.07.2003 - MEXICO CITY Mexico - Japan Classification:WQ W-WC > 2003 > Preliminary Competition PLAY-OFF AFC/CONCACAF so first leg will be on july 5th in mexico city. i'm thinking that japan will have a tough time playing in mexico...not just the weather, but now the altitude too. i wonder when the 2nd leg of the home-and-away series will be? that date is not online yet. (at least, to my knowledge) elaine
I think the key for Japan in the first leg will be to focus on defense and try to counter-attack with its dangerous attackers. If Japan can successfully contain Mexico in the world's most polluted city, Japanese superiority should see them through on the return leg.
There are two approaches to playing in Mexico City, either adjust to altitude or come at the very last moment, so the altitude can be marginalized. The pollution is a very key problem. Japan should NOT sit and bunker, because eventually the defensive effort will exhaust them. The key is to play a passive possession game, lots of lateral passes, and force Mexico to chase to recover possession. Obviously Dominguez is a key player, but watch out for Iris Mora, a very dominating #10...plays at UCLA and has WUSA level talent... Mexico needs a 2+ result...
with the altitude problem that Japanese will have to face, bunker system is probably the right way to play to get the draw and win the 2nd match in Japan.
when costa rica beat el tri, they played a cautious possession game... dominguez and mora will rip apart any bunker you set up... the key is having some possession and NOT just giving it up to Mexico... it you bunker it will be 3-0.
I think if Japan bunkers, it will be 1-0 Mexico, a deficit that Japan will have little trouble overcoming in Japan. Japan has a very disciplined defense and they are very good at listening to instructions. Heck, Sawa and Omi could get a counter for the Japanese and even grab a goal with this tactic. Will Japan be able to play a cautious possession match with Mexico? I am not sure. I am not convinced that Japan can play that game. Also, the Mexican women are not as potent around the goal as the men. Sure, Dominguez can score goals for Atlanta against inferior opposition, but against a stingey Japanese defense? I am not so sure.
I've seen Mexico (men) play about 25 matches at Azteca. The one certainty with bunkering is you conceed Mexico possession, and they will attack the box with 5 or 6 attackers. There is a constant relentless pressure, and given the altitude, gaps eventually appear. When Costa Rica beat Mexico during 2002 WCQ, they did NOT bunker. Also, the gap between Japans talent, and Mexico is NOT appreciable. Dominguez and Mora are superior offensive talents. Mexico and Japan are both finesse, possession oriented, with Japan having better team coordination and mexico having a bit more individual flair. Dominguez and Mora are more likely to dribble to create danger, whereas the pass is more likely from Japan. My suspicion is the return match in Japan will have qualifying in doubt throughout the 2nd half.
Mexico has no defense to speak of, except for one player and she is not that good. Japan has defense, midfield and attack in abundance. Mexico's ONLY cnance is to bunker themselves, even at home, and hope for a counter goal or two. Japan has, in the past, had problems scoring against a bunker. Unfortunatly The drop off between Canada and Mexico is HUGE CONCACAF has two quality sides in the women's game and then a big drop off. Asia goes four, five or even six deep at a good level. I would be surprised if this series was any closer than 5-1 Japan. The Mexican women's program is simply that bad except for a couple, or three, players.
05.07.2003: Mexico City, MEXICO; MEXICO - JAPAN R: Marta Liliana TORO PARDO (COL) 12.07.2003: TBD, JAPAN; JAPAN - MEXICO R: Katriina ELOVIRTA (FIN) My suspicion is the Colombian ref is in over her head.. I'll take a piece of that 5-1 action. I believe the gap is closer. Mexico continues to get better, as they take the female game more seriously. Unless you've been at altitude, measuring your performance over 90 minutes is really hard...I was in Quito in 1993, and walking around was fine, but once I started running, the effort quickly became difficult... and then throw in the Mexico City pollution, where every day is a BAD health day... the interesting part is Atlanta will lose Sawa and Dominguez for two full weeks.
What usually happens in a home-and-home series is that the visiting team plays conservatively. To keep it from being dull, UEFA & CONMEBOL have the away-goal rule. Does anyone know if such is the case in this qualifier? JPN will probably consider a 1-0 loss as a satisfactory result. Since the series is based on aggregate goals, JPN can be expected to go all-out on the 2nd leg. As far as marketability is concerned, the organizers are probably secretly favoring MEX to advance, given the potentially large Mexican fan base in this country that can go the games.
I'm sure the AWAY goal rule counts..... I do have my doubts with a Colombian ref, given the quality or lack of quality of play from COMNEBOL, and the general lack of match play in COMNEBOL.... So I suspect, the level of play from Mexico and Japan will overwhelm her... The key will be whether she favors the home side?? Or the language familiarity.... if FIFA really wants to fix it, having a "neutral" Finn ref the final match, could easily be accomplished. Also stadium selection in Mexico City is of interest to me...and how many Mexican supporters show up.. Ana Guevara , the best womens 400 meter runner on the planet, ran in LA several weeks ago, and several thousand Mexican fans showed up... ...so female heros do exist in Mexico...and after all, this is mexico and football, so the attendance will be interesting to observe... in Mexico I see 3:1 and then 4:1 return the next weekend
I like the away-goal rule because not only does it level the playing field, but it also provides a much-needed incentive for the visiting team to play attacking football. No more of these dull 1-0 results. Logistically, JPN seem to have an edge as the 2nd-leg host. JPN can decide to spend as much as 2 weeks in Mexico preparing for the 1st leg, while MEX have barely a week to mentally prepare in their opponent's backyard.
Actually waht I think Japan should do is find a training area at altitude ANYWHERE within two time zones of Mexico City and train there for a week or so. Then go to Mexico City the night before the game. But all of that is not really needed: If they are in good shape, and they are and will be, and the arive fairly close to game time they will be just fine. The polution is more of an issue than the Altitude an no amount of training in polution makes its effects less so it will be the same for both teams. The altitude effect is more mental than physical for one game. Now for a series of games and for recovery time between games it is a diferent story so Japan should get out of there as quickly as possible. Both Sawa and Dominguez are in GREAT shape and are leaders on their teams so I expect all the other players are in as good a shape. The ONE really HUGE question is WILL GALAVISION OR UNIVISION pick up these games, at least the one in Mexico!!! Or will FSWD be allowed to show them tape delay or something as they have others (Men's and a few Women's) in the past.
Recent results do not support these views. In the first place, Mexico has a better recent result against a common opponent, South Korea. In the 3rd-place match at the Asian Championship, Japan lost to South Korea 1:0. In the Australia Cup this February, Mexico beat South Korea 2:0. (Mexico also drew with European power Sweden in that tournament.) Second, Mexico was at least as competitive against the top teams in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying as Japan was against the top teams in AFC World Cup qualifying. Japan lost 3:0 to champions North Korea in the semifinal of the AFC tournament. Mexico lost 3:0 to champions USA and 2:0 to runners-up Canada in CONCACAF qualifying. Finally, Costa Rica and Trinidad, the fourth and fifth best teams in CONCACAF, have results in CONCACAF that are on par with the results of Taiwan and Myanmar in AFC.
Altitude is a factor... there are two approaches... Fly into Mexico City the morning of the match, so the affect of altitude is minimized...this is what Brazil does when it plays in La Paz or, acclimitize to the altutude by several weeks at 7500... the body goes through a phase, where it gradually weakens when first exposed to the altitude, then at a certain point it regains strength and adapts to the altitude.... I would suspect Japan will locate themselves somewhere in the USA...california or texas, and go to mexico city on july 4....
And this is based on what, exactly? She refereed two matches at the 1999 World Cup, including the Germany-USA quarterfinal. In my opinion, she did an very well in that match. I can't imagine this match will carry the same pressure as a World Cup quarterfinal involving the host team in front of over 50,000 maniacal fans. Agreed. This is very close to a toss-up.
I don't believe the Colombian ref gets to do many international matches, simply because COMNEBOL plays so few. My general observation is when a ref from a minnow gets thrust into a major event, it's a gamble. I recollect in 1995, in the 1st round match where Scurry got tossed by a guy claiming she handled the ball outside the box. It's instances like that where I'd have concern. Or losing control in a physical match. Since I doubt Japan and mexico will be physical, that prospect isn;t really prominent. The worst case I'd seen was Barrett from JAmaica in USA-Guatemala WCQ for 1998 at RFK, where if the leg wasn't broken, then no foul... Hopefully the colombian ref will be competent.
Can someone give me a list of the US-based (WUSA, college, USL) Mexican players and for Japan as well.
I don't have a list, but the Atlanta Beat are losing a player for each side, Sawa for Japan and Dominguez for Mexico.
does any one know if there's a link any where which will have LIVE match reports on Saturday's match in Mexico city?
Here's the rosters, per the FEMEXFUT site (U.S. teams in parentheses). I didn't check every name, but I did get some info. Molina just graduated from Colgate, and she was the top keeper in the Gold Cup. Mexico: 01.- Jennifer Marie Molina Shea / Portera (Boston Renegades) 02.- Pamela Tajonar Alonso / Portera 03.- Mónica Christine González Canales / Defensa (Boston Breakers) 04.- Susana Mora Chávez / Defensa (ex. of USC) 05.- Elizabeth Patricia Gómez Randall / Defensa (Miami U.) 06.- Maria de Jesús Castillo Nicasio / Defensa 07.- Rubí Marlene Sandoval Nugaray / Defensa 08.- Ana Laura Galindo Domínguez / Defensa 09.- Patricia Pérez Peña / Media (KC Mystics) 10.- Janeth Palmira Siordia Beltrán / Media 11.- Fátima Leyva Moran / Media 12.- Mónica Vergara Rubio / Media 13.- Nadia Hernández / Media 14.- Sulim Nereida Quinares Solís / Media 15.- Luz del Rosario Saucedo Soto / Media 16.- Mayra Rosales Loera / Delantera 17.- Andrea Guadalupe Moreno Pérez / Delantera 18.- Erica Rodríguez Audello / Delantera (Cal Poly) 19.- Iris Adriana Mora Vallejo / Delantera (UCLA) 20.- Maribel Domínguez Castelan / Delantera (Atlanta Beat) JAPAN 01.- Nozomi Yamago / Portera 02.- Yumi Obe / Media 03.- Hiromini Sozaki / Defensa 04.- Yasuyo Yamagishi / Defensa 05.- Tomoe Sakai / Media 06.- Yayoi Kobayashi / Media 07.- Naoko Kawakami / Media 08.- Tomomi miyamoto / Media 09.- Eriko Arakawa / Delantera 10.- Homare Sawa / Delantera (Atlanta Beat) 11.- Mio Otani / Delantera 12.- Miho Fukumoto / Portera 13.- Mai Nakachi / Defensa 14.- Yuca Miyazaki / Defensa 16.- Emi Yamamoto / Medis 17.- Tomoko Suzuki / Delantera 18.- Karina Maruyama / Delantera 19.- Shinobu Ohno / Delantera 20.- Aya Miyama / Media 21.- Shino Onodera / Portera 25.- Kyoto Yano / Defensa
For those of you that asked previously, Attendance was about 80,000 (yes, eighty thousand) I watched it live in Televisa and although unfortunately Mexico only managed a tie, it was a close game. Quite exciting actually. Although the odds against the Mexicans in Japan I hope for the best.