Official 2021 Samurai Blue thread

Discussion in 'Japan' started by Whispered11, Feb 2, 2021.

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  1. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan

    UAE naturalized a couple of Brazilians recently, and this is what gave them the edge over Vietnam in their second round qualifying group.

    Hence, they are more improved offensively, but their team lack stamina and tend to concede play and goals late in their matches.

    Oman remind me of Japan in the 1990s and in the period from 2004-2010; much possession and created chances with poor finishing skills. They completely dominated Qatar in the second round qualifying group, only for some controversial refereeing decisions gifting the match to Qatar.
     
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  2. Whispered11

    Whispered11 Member+

    U.C. Sampdoria
    Japan
    Oct 4, 2011
    Munich, Germany
    Club:
    UC Sampdoria
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    UAE have Bert van Marwijk. I wouldn't write them off so soon.
     
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  3. KATO

    KATO Member

    Nov 26, 2011
    Manchester
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    It will be the same old story with Saudi Arabia and Oman: beating the eleven players on the pitch PLUS the referee.

    Australia is definitely beatable home and away. They barely have any players in the big four European leagues. Not convinced their manager is cut out for international football.

    China as always will look terrible 99% of the time but suddenly look good against Japan. Just need to make sure our players aren’t injured when it’s not going China’s away.

    Looking forward to playing Vietnam.
     
  4. mushu21_2

    mushu21_2 Member

    Manchester United
    Vietnam
    Sep 1, 2018
    The thread name is "2021 Samurai Blue" ...
     
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  5. gamban98

    gamban98 Member

    Dec 7, 2013
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    lmao China has five naturalized players!

    Elkeson (Brazil), Alan (Brazil), Fernandinho (Brazil), Nico Yennaris (England), Tyias Browning (England)

    Quite surprising that a nationalistic country like China is resorting to such a strategy.
     
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  6. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Well, in the old and conservative Europe, countries well known for their racist behaviour naturalized black (african) players to improve their (low) chance to achieve some remarkable achievement.

    China mimic Qatar is not a surprise in 2021.
     
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  7. Kanarienvogel

    Kanarienvogel Member

    Nov 15, 2019
    Qatar is getting better though, it's not practically the whole team anymore.

    But more than Europe, here the fitting comparison really is old and conservative Japan, well known for its racist behaviour. If Japan did it, then why not China?

    Not trying to start shit, but if you're going to call a whole continent "old and conservative", better make sure you're not in a glass house... Nothing of value in your post (not in mine either) so let's drop it...
     
  8. HTCONEM8

    HTCONEM8 Member+

    AC Milan
    May 16, 2014
    Club:
    AC Milan
    So, any ideas when are they going to announce the roster for the upcoming WCQ matches?
     
  9. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    7 days before the first match as usual, or maybe somewhere between 7-10 days before the first match.
     
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  10. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    China vs. Japan 2022 World Cup Qualifiers match on 7/Sep/2021 will be played at Doha, Qatar.

    The match is regarded as China's home fixture, but China choose to play at Doha as they will play their first away fixture against Australia there as well, due to COVID-19 restrictions in Australia.
     
  11. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    The Squad will be announced next Thursday 26/Augus at 16:00 JST.
     
  12. HTCONEM8

    HTCONEM8 Member+

    AC Milan
    May 16, 2014
    Club:
    AC Milan
    Good. Don't want to play in that hostile environment a.k.a China. It should increase the odds of Japan winning the match. China always have difficulties playing away.
     
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  13. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan

    But now Japan will be forced to travel for longer distance and face jetlag, while the Chinese will be fully rested and ready, as China will play against Australia 5 days earlier in Qatar.
     
  14. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Japan national team squad for the upcoming WC qualifiers:

    GK: Kawashima, Gonda, Tani.

    DF: Nagatomo, Yoshida, Sasaki, Sakai, Yamane, Muroya, Ueda, Nakayakma, Tomiyasu.

    MF: Haraguchi, Shibasaki, W. Endo, Ito, Minamino, Morita, Kamada, Itakura, Doan, Kubo.

    FW: Osako, Furuhashi.
     
  15. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Thoughts:

    Glad to see Tani getting his first senior NT call-up ahead of Nakamura and Schmidt.

    Glad to see Furuhashi getting called-up ahead of Asano, Musashi Suzuki, and Onaiwu.

    The only negative is seeing Sasaki called-up AGAIN! Apart from this, the squad is almost perfect.
     
  16. KATO

    KATO Member

    Nov 26, 2011
    Manchester
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    FK Sasaki, no comment.

    Need to get rid of Nagatomo and Kawashima and it’s a good team. They can always be called up last minute if we qualify for the WC.
     
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  17. HTCONEM8

    HTCONEM8 Member+

    AC Milan
    May 16, 2014
    Club:
    AC Milan
    I hope they'd play well. Winning the 1st match at home is a must.
    Happy to see Kyogo or "Kayogo" as some Celtic fans say his name :p being included.
     
  18. Kanarienvogel

    Kanarienvogel Member

    Nov 15, 2019
    No suprises really. Biggest one maybe no Asano, that's a positive surprise.
    Would have like to see Shoji though, but ok, no idea how he's been playing for Gamba.
    Defensive midfield, Endo-Shibasaki-Morita (Itakura), I expected Hashimoto to be called again, but no problem that he wasn't. Japan's problems aren't there anyway.

    Getting rid of Nagatomo? Absolutely not, even at 35 or whatever age he is, he still is better than any alternative. LOOK for an alternative, sure, but as long as Nagatomo delivers, there is no reason to get rid of him. If he now declines very rapidly, then yes, bench him, don't call him up anymore, but last time he played for the NT he was still better than Sasaki. Or Nakayama.

    Kawashima, yeah.. I suspect he's there for the locker room, third keeper usually doesn't get to play in a WC, even less likely in 2 qualifiers.. But don't really see the point either, if anything keep Nishikawa around.
     
  19. SamuraiBlue2002

    SamuraiBlue2002 Member+

    Dec 20, 2008
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    I don't mind seeing older players being called up. I think that a lot of people are forgetting that the World Cup is next year, these players should still be good by then.

    But if Kawashima and Nagatomo are still being called up after that then there are serious questions that need to be asked.
     
  20. Majster2

    Majster2 Member+

    Apr 23, 2010
    Poland
    Club:
    Urawa RD
    When was Sasaki good? I found this one pretty funny (probably because it's true)
    Yeah, most likely about the coach.
     
  21. mushu21_2

    mushu21_2 Member

    Manchester United
    Vietnam
    Sep 1, 2018
    Gamba's defense is a joke even against 2nd-tier teams in AFC Champions League.

    Personally I don't like the CB who has the habit to showboat unnecessary tricks like Shoji. In the WC, Yoshida played the role of tactical CB, so Shoji was forced to play more orthodox role, and he was rather good. However at times, especially at club level, he tends to relax too much and it always leads to unstable defense system.

    I also think an ideal CB pair consists of a technical, tactical one and a more physical, no non-sense one. For this reason Ueda always has his place in the team although he is not rated highly as Tomiyasu or Itakura.
    Tomiyasu and Itakura should keep their play simpler too in my opinion. Recently I feel they start to rely too much on their tactical judgement, so they tend to let the opponent's CF too many spaces. You need someone to stick to the CF, and at current level clearly its not Yoshida's job.
     
  22. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Hashimoto is playing in a more-attacking position at Rostov, and whenever he drops to defensive midfield he has been very week.

    At his current form, Ao Tanaka, Hayao Kawabe, and Sho Inagaki shall be ahead of him in the pecking order.
     
  23. HTCONEM8

    HTCONEM8 Member+

    AC Milan
    May 16, 2014
    Club:
    AC Milan
    #98 HTCONEM8, Aug 28, 2021
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2021
    I predict a tough match against the Omanis whom I expect will resort to parking the bus tactic.
    I wonder if our offense have got what it takes to penetrate that double layered defense.

    Off-topic:
    Congrats to the JNT beach soccer team for reaching the WC final as the first Asian country to do so. A historic moment indeed.
     
  24. teioh

    teioh Member+

    Apr 17, 2012
    Just a question: some of the european players will be quarantined for some days after these match right?
    What about japanese players back in Japan from foreign asian countries doha?
     
  25. Samurai Warrior

    Samurai Warrior Member+

    Dec 2, 2008
    Nat'l Team:
    Japan
    Gen Shoji is called-up as a replacement for the injured Ko Itakura.
     

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