Football Japan Minutecast

Marcus Tulio Tanaka scored for both sides as a greatly improved Japan slipped to an unfortunate 2-1 defeat in their latest World Cup warm-up match against Fabio Capello�fs England in Austria yesterday afternoon.

Six days after being booed off the pitch in Saitama after losing their final home friendly against rivals South Korea, Takeshi Okada�fs side stunned their more celebrated opponents by racing into an early lead when Tanaka met Yasuhito Endo�fs corner with a low shot after just six minutes. Japan continued to hold their own for much of the game - surviving a scare when Eiji Kawashima stopped Frank Lampard�fs weakly-hit penalty - and looked set to hang on for a famous victory until being denied in the cruellest of manners by two own goals in the final 18 minutes.

Tanaka first headed a cross from England substitute Joe Cole past the helpless Kawashima, before defensive partner Yuji Nakazawa inadvertently deflected a ball from Ashley Cole into his own net with just seven minutes remaining.

The vast upturn in Japan�fs performance was the result of a much-hyped tactical switch, aided by the return of Tanaka and - perversely - the absence of star midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura with an ankle problem. With this being the only change in personnel from the 2-0 setback last Monday, Okada was able to move Yuki Abe forward into a purely defensive midfield remit, providing Endo and Makoto Hasebe with the freedom to link more efficiently with the three remaining attacking players.

The suggestion that Okada might change from his usual 4-2-3-1 formation to what was effectively a 4-1-2-2-1 system had been derided as �eoverly negative�f by sections of the domestic press, but having struggled to hold onto the ball against South Korea�fs heavy pressing, Japan were now suddenly able to keep an admittedly below-par England side at bay with relative ease. Their lead might even have been increased when Keisuke Honda and substitute Takayuki Morimoto were both denied by fine saves from Joe Hart, before Capello�fs half-time changes helped swing the tide England�fs way as the second period progressed.

Okada was bullish after the match, insisting that his side would need to show more intent in front of goal when they face the Ivory Coast in Sion, Switzerland on Friday, but the enthusiastic crowd of Japanese fans that had gathered in Graz would have been happy that, for once, the manager had had little to apologise for.

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In the Yamazaki Nabisco Cup, J1 strugglers Kyoto Sanga and Jubilo Iwata won both of their respective matches this week to move to the top of their group tables, as Urawa Reds suffered consecutive home losses against Montedio Yamagata and Shimizu S-Pulse in Group B.



International friendly
Japan 1-2 England


Yamazaki Nabisco Cup (group stage, matchday 5)
Group A
Cerezo Osaka 0-1 Vegalta Sendai
Albirex Niigata 1-0 Omiya Ardija
Kyoto Sanga 1-0 Nagoya Grampus

Group B
Jubilo Iwata 2-0 Vissel Kobe
Yokohama F Marinos 3-0 Shonan Bellmare
Urawa Reds 0-1 Shimizu S-Pulse


Yamazaki Nabisco Cup (group stage, matchday 4)
Group A
Vegalta Sendai 1-0 FC Tokyo
Albirex Niigata 1-4 Kyoto Sanga
Nagoya Grampus 1-1 Cerezo Osaka

Group B
Urawa Reds 0-2 Montedio Yamagata
Shonan Bellmare 1-2 Jubilo Iwata
Vissel Kobe 3-1 Shimizu S-Pulse

Earlier on Saturday, I gave an interview to Stuart Linnell of BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire in the UK ahead of Japan�fs friendly match with England later on Sunday. Stuart�fs show can be listened to again in its entirety on BBC iPlayer for the next seven days, but here is the full interview – - this audio is copyright of the BBC.

Japan versus England kicks off in Graz, Austria at 9.15pm on Sunday, Japanese Standard Time (1.15pm British Summer Time).

The Japanese national team�fs preparations for the World Cup in South Africa next month endured another setback last night as their final warm-up match on home turf ended in a comprehensive 2-0 defeat to fierce rivals South Korea.

In front of a packed crowd in Saitama, the visitors needed just six minutes to open the scoring as captain Park Ji-Sung evaded the challenges of four opponents to burst through on goal and fire home from the edge of the 18-yard box. Despite a late Japanese rally, the Koreans sealed a deserved victory in the final minute when substitute Park Chu-Young converted from the spot after being felled by goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada had suffered a blow before the game when central defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka injured his thigh in the warm-up, necessitating a late shuffle to the back four that saw Yuki Abe moved into the middle, Yuto Nagatomo switching flanks to play at right-back, and Yasuyuki Konno brought in to start on the left. Shinji Okazaki was given a lone role up front in the absence of Keiji Tamada, with Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow providing support alongside Shunsuke Nakamura and Yoshito Okubo in Okada�fs favoured 4-2-3-1 formation.

The gameplan quickly unravelled, however, with Park Ji-Sung�fs early goal, as Huh Jung-Moo�fs side looked far the more comfortable on the ball and were quick to press their hosts into mistakes whenever not. Japan�fs only real chances came when Okubo fired a speculative shot wide of Jung Sung-Ryong�fs left-hand post on 21 minutes, before substitute Takayuki Morimoto - one of the few Japanese players to emerge from the game with any credit - hit a low shot straight at the goalkeeper 15 minutes from time.

Okada apologised immediately afterwards for a second home defeat to South Korea in 2010 - following a 3-1 reverse in the East Asian Championship in February - but critics were quick to warn that being bullied off the ball so easily does not bode well for matches against three more physically imposing opponents in the World Cup group stage.

Japan now head to Austria and Switzerland for two further friendlies next week against England and the Ivory Coast.

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In domestic news, FC Tokyo and Urawa Reds shook off the absence of their national team stars to move top of their respective Yamazaki Nabisco Cup groups with narrow wins over Albirex Niigata and Shonan Bellmare.


International friendly
Japan 0-2 South Korea


Yamazaki Nabisco Cup (group stage, matchday 3)
Group A
FC Tokyo 1-0 Albirex Niigata
Kyoto Sanga 2-1 Cerezo Osaka
Nagoya Grampus 1-3 Omiya Ardija

Group B
Shonan Bellmare 1-2 Urawa Reds
Shimizu S-Pulse 0-0 Yokohama F Marinos
Montedio Yamagata 1-0 Vissel Kobe