Articles based on World Cup Minutecasts now available

Ben Mabley — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:15:13 +0900

Throughout late July and early August, articles based on the special Minutecasts recorded in South Africa during the recent World Cup will be published on Ben Mabley’s column at Football Japan, ‘English Blood, Osakan Heart’. Translations will also be available on the Japanese-language version of this column.

2010ワールドカップの開催地、南アフリカ・ヨハネスブルグで作成した特別番組をベースに、７月下旬～８月上旬にメイブリーのコラム「故郷はイングランド、ハートは大阪」にて英語の記事や文字起こしとその日本語訳も公開する予定です。

Articles currently available - 公開中の記事の一覧：

Johannesburg Special 1 - South Africa, South Africans, and ‘African’ identity
English: http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/2010/07/south-africa-so.html
日本語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/2010/07/post-d4e1.html

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Last-gasp Endo sinks Urawa as Gamba edge Banpaku thriller

Ben Mabley — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:29:15 +0900

Japan star Yasuhito Endo got the better of his World Cup midfield partner Yuki Abe on Sunday evening with a last-gasp goal to give Gamba Osaka a dramatic 3-2 victory over deadly rivals Urawa Reds at Banpaku.

Little more than 60 seconds after Edmilson’s second goal of the game looked to have rescued a point for the visitors, Endo collected the ball from debutant Lee Keun-Ho - a recent Gamba arrival from Jubilo Iwata - to fire an unstoppable winner past Norihiro Yamagishi with 94 minutes on the clock.

Edmilson had headed Urawa in front midway through the first half, before 18-year-old Takashi Usami equalised right on half time and Nobuhisa Yamada unwittingly deflected the ball past his own goalkeeper twenty minutes into the second period. Gamba forward Lucas was then shown a straight red card for a tackle from behind, but numerical parity was later restored moments before the injury time excitement when Yamada completed a calamitous performance with a second bookable offence.

The win takes Gamba up to eighth in the table, nine points behind new leaders Kashima Antlers after their 2-1 win over fellow title contenders Kawasaki Frontale. Felipe Gabriel scrambled the ball home to open the scoring for Kashima on 21 minutes, but although Masaru Kurotsu levelled proceedings six minutes before half-time, Frontale’s momentum was lost almost immediately with a second yellow card for Junichi Inamoto - one of the few World Cup players left in the squad following the departures of goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima and North Korean striker Jong Tae-Se. Lee Jung-Soo later headed home his third league goal of the season to seal victory for the three-times defending champions.

Shimizu S-Pulse fall a point behind in second following an insipid goalless draw in their Shizuoka derby match with Jubilo Iwata, while Nagoya Grampus are now just one point behind them in third after Joshua Kennedy’s late header secured a 1-0 win at Omiya Ardija despite the earlier sending off of Igor Burzanović.

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A solitary strike from Yoshiro Abe was enough to lift Shonan Bellmare up to 16th position - despite only mustering three shots on goal to the 23 recorded by a Kyoto Sanga side that now prop up the table in their stead. Vissel Kobe needed a 96th-minute penalty from Yoshito Okubo to steal a 2-2 draw at FC Tokyo and stay out of the relegation zone, while Sanfrecce Hiroshima bounced back from a crushing 5-0 home defeat to Cerezo Osaka last Wednesday with a 3-0 win over Yokohama F Marinos.

Cerezo could only draw 1-1 at Albirex Niigata in their weekend match, while Montedio Yamagata moved up to 11th with a 3-1 win at home to Vegalta Sendai.

J1 results (matchday 13)
Omiya Ardija 0-1 Nagoya Grampus
FC Tokyo 2-2 Vissel Kobe
Shimizu S-Pulse 0-0 Jubilo Iwata
Montedio Yamagata 3-1 Vegalta Sendai
Kashima Antlers 2-1 Kawasaki Frontale
Albirex Niigata 1-1 Cerezo Osaka
Kyoto Sanga 0-1 Shonan Bellmare
Gamba Osaka 3-2 Urawa Reds
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 3-0 Yokohama F Marinos

J1 results (matchday 11 - postponed matches, played 14 July)
Kashima Antlers 1-0 Shonan Bellmare
Kawasaki Frontale 0-0 Omiya Ardija
Gamba Osaka 1-1 Kyoto Sanga
Sanfrecce Hiroshima 0-5 Cerezo Osaka

]]>オススメ・スポンサーサイト： Kashima | Omiya | Urawa | Hiroshima | Chiba | Kobe | Yokohama | Yamagata | Niigata | Kawasaki | Osaka | Shimizu | Kyoto | Kashiwa | Tokyo | Nagoya | Iwata | Oita | Sendai | Shonan

[PR]注目のキーワード「戦国BASARA弐」

ads by Seesaa — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:29:15 +0900

Johannesburg Special 5 - Back home

Ben Mabley — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0900

You know what, I think I prefer winter to summer. At least, I do when it’s a sunny 19°C as opposed to an oppressive 34°C. And fresh and dry rather than so humid that a ten-minute walk to the shops will leave you soaked even if you choose one of the few days where it’s not actually chucking it down. It helps too, of course, when there are parties, songs, and football instead of... well, work.

I had originally intended to follow the Minutecast recorded at Uruguay versus Ghana with another at Ellis Park 24 hours later, but this was ultimately abandoned for three reasons. Firstly, as can be confirmed by the podcast intro spoken that morning, my voice was absolutely shot to pieces from Soccer City the night before. Secondly, I was still a bit gutted that we weren’t going to be seeing Japan, although I did bump into seven Japanese supporters in and around the stadium that night - including a Bulgarian girl who seemed delighted not to be the only Caucasian with the Yatagarasu on her chest. Finally, Spain against Paraguay was simply never going to compare not only to the drama and controversy of Uruguay’s penalty shootout win, but also the atmosphere of a genuinely African crowd desperate for the Ghanaians to keep the flag flying.

In this sense, it was almost a shame that the Soccer City experience had come on my first full day in Johannesburg. The overriding image that I shall retain from the South Africa World Cup was that of tens of thousands of locals - encompassing all races, but most strikingly whites (to whom FIFA’s latter-stage ticket prices had arguably been most targeted) - decorated in flags, shirts, and face paint representing a nation of Ghana that most will surely never have visited. The phenomenon of multinational identity is probably at least as complex when exhibited so openly as is its far subtler form in East Asia, and while enjoying Germany’s quarter-final with Argentina at the Long Bar in Braamfontein, it was equally fascinating to observe how keen the majority of our fellow punters were to see the gold trophy ‘at least stay in the Southern Hemisphere’.

Not that the four-letter jokes being sprouted about Europe meant that I should be seen as an intruder. On the contrary, virtually every stranger I spoke to - from street traders to one gentleman in a bar draped in an enormous Ghanaian flag who later revealed himself to hail from Cameroon - made a point of welcoming me not only to their country but to Africa. If this is how all tourists and journalists have been greeted throughout the last five weeks, it is little wonder that the negative headlines that once dominated the Western and Japanese press have long been consigned to the archives.

Marc Fletcher mentioned in the first of the Minutecast specials that much of this criticism had been penned by ‘people writing from their armchairs back home rather than coming out here’, and certainly, there was nothing even witnessed from afar that gave me the slightest cause for concern during the eight days in which I enjoyed Johannesburg in person. Traffic in the central business district delayed our journey to Soccer City slightly but we still arrived comfortably in time for kick-off. Those who were not so fortunate for the Germany-Spain semi-final in Durban - the one logistical incident that has affected these Finals - were apparently muscled aside by jets carrying the VIPs that had left so many seats vacant in the earlier rounds, suggesting that the problem may lie less with the South African organisers and more with FIFA’s priorities. And any suggestion that vuzuzelas have been a blight on the tournament will curry little favour with this podcast, which thoroughly enjoyed blowing B-flats both at the actual matches and at a friend’s wedding reception back in Japan this past Saturday.

As for Japan, their elimination to Paraguay barely twelve hours before I embarked on my outward journey was both dramatic and cruel, but I stand by my ‘tweet’ posted in the glorious aftermath of that 3-1 win over Denmark that a first knockout stage appearance on foreign soil represents the finest achievement in this country’s footballing history. It was a huge relief that Takeshi Okada finally found the courage to decide that the current crop of players were not suited to 4-2-3-1 against stronger opposition, and a sheer delight to see Keisuke Honda not only sparkle on the highest stage but do so in an unfamiliar striking role that few observers - myself included - would have predicted him to fulfil. The outgoing manager deserves enormous credit for surviving the intense and often excessive condemnation thrown at him by certain naive sections of the domestic media to lead his side to within one penalty kick of a quarter-final against eventual champions Spain.

The challenge for his successor will be to carry the momentum into January’s Asian Cup in Qatar and a potential guest appearance in next summer’s Copa America, while the players must prove that they can now cope in the spotlight and live up to their enhanced reputations. Honda has been linked with a host of top European clubs, while a J. League exodus has already been confirmed for Shinji Kagawa to Borussia Dortmund, Atsuto Uchida to Schalke 04, and goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima to Lierse of Belgium. Football Japan wishes them all well in their new adventures.

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Johannesburg Special 4 - Interview with Kaizer Chiefs supporters’ club chairman Nylon Mphahlele

Ben Mabley — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0900

This is the fourth in a series of special Football Japan Minutecast features recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the final stages of the 2010 World Cup.

A few days before Sunday’s World Cup final, I spoke with Nylon Mphahlele - chairman of the Greater Johannesburg branch of the Kaizer Chiefs supporters’ club - about the experience of a World Cup in his own country, how overseas fans took to cuisine such as pap and boerewors, and how the Premier Soccer League in South Africa might be affected when things return to normal.

A written article based on this episode will be published on my column at Football Japan, ‘English Blood, Osakan Heart’, at a later date. A translation will also be available on the Japanese-language version of this column.

English: http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/

この度、2010ワールドカップの開催地、南アフリカ・ヨハネスブルグでFootball Japan Minutecastの特別シリーズを作成することになりました。

本日の４回目では、カイザー・チーフスのファンクラブのグレーター・ヨハネスブルク地域会長、ナイロン・ンファヒレレ氏にインタビューを行いました。ンファヒレレ氏は母国でワールドカップを観た体験、海外からやってきたサポーターに売ろうとした南アフリカ料理、そしてワールドカップによって同国のプレミアサッカーリーグがどう変わっていくかについて話して下さいました。

この番組をベースに、７月下旬～８月上旬にメイブリーのコラム「故郷はイングランド、ハートは大阪」にて記事も公開する予定です。（日本語版もあります。）

日本語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/

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[PR]注目のキーワード「植村花菜」

ads by Seesaa — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 +0900

Johannesburg Special 3 - The Game of Their Lives Director Daniel Gordon on North Korea

Ben Mabley — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:58:12 +0900

This is the third in a series of special Football Japan Minutecast features being recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the final stages of the 2010 World Cup.

Last week, I spoke to the British film director Daniel Gordon following a showing of his award-winning documentary on the 1966 North Korea World Cup squad, The Game of Their Lives, at The Bioscope independent cinema in downtown Johannesburg. In the podcast, Gordon speaks about the North Korean footballers’ perceptions of their own country and the rest of Asia, as well as his own upcoming feature on yesterday’s World Cup final at Soccer City.

A written article based on this episode will be published on my column at Football Japan, ‘English Blood, Osakan Heart’, at a later date. A translation will also be available on the Japanese-language version of this column.

English: http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/

この度、2010ワールドカップの開催地、南アフリカ・ヨハネスブルグでFootball Japan Minutecastの特別シリーズを作成することになりました。

本日の３回目では、ヨハネスブルグのインディペンデント映画館、「The Bioscope」で『奇蹟のイレブン』を観賞させて頂いた後、ダニエル・ゴードン監督が北朝鮮サッカー、選手のアジアに対する気持ち、そして同監督の新作（テーマが昨日の2010ワールドカップ決勝戦）について語って頂きました。

この番組をベースに、７月下旬～８月上旬にメイブリーのコラム「故郷はイングランド、ハートは大阪」にて記事も公開する予定です。（日本語版もあります。）

日本語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/

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Johannesburg Special 2 - Uruguay vs. Ghana at Soccer City

Ben Mabley — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0900

This is the second in a series of special Football Japan Minutecast features being recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the final stages of the 2010 World Cup.

Yesterday evening, I was at Soccer City to see Uruguay beat Ghana on penalties after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes. Ghana forward Asamoah Gyan missed from the spot with the final kick of extra time as the Black Stars fell agonisingly short of delighting their massed fans from all over Africa and the rest of the world.

A written article based on this episode will be published on my column at Football Japan, ‘English Blood, Osakan Heart’, at a later date. A translation will also be available on the Japanese-language version of this column.

English: http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/

この度、2010ワールドカップの開催地、南アフリカ・ヨハネスブルグでFootball Japan Minutecastの特別シリーズを作成することになりました。

本日の２回目では、昨日のＷ杯ベスト８、ウルグアイ対ガーナで収録したコメントを紹介します。観客の９割ぐらいがアフリカ代表のガーナを応援していた中、ＦＷアサモア・ギャンが延長戦ロスタイムの最後の最後に何とＰＫを外し、ウルグアイが結局ＰＫ戦で勝利を収めました。

この番組をベースに、７月下旬～８月上旬にメイブリーのコラム「故郷はイングランド、ハートは大阪」にて記事も公開する予定です。（日本語版もあります。）

日本語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/

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Johannesburg Special 1 - South Africa, South Africans, and ‘African’ identity

Ben Mabley — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 22:13:17 +0900

This is the first in a series of special Football Japan Minutecast features being recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, during the final stages of the 2010 World Cup.

Today, I spoke to PhD researcher Marc Fletcher of Edinburgh University about how the World Cup experience has affected South Africa, and why local fans will be supporting Ghana in their quarter-final against Uruguay at Soccer City later this evening.

A written transcript of this interview is now available at Ben Mabley’s column at Football Japan, ‘English Blood, Osakan Heart’: http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/2010/07/south-africa-so.html

A Japanese translation is also available here: http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/2010/07/post-d4e1.html

この度、2010ワールドカップの開催地、南アフリカ・ヨハネスブルグでFootball Japan Minutecastの特別シリーズを作成することになりました。

本日の１回目では、ヨハネスブルグで南アフリカサッカーの現況を調べている、英・エジンバラ大学の博士研究者、マーク・フレッチャー氏にインタビューを行いました。フレッチャー氏はＷ杯の影響によって南アフリカがどのように変わってきたか、そして現地の人々が本日の準々決勝（対ウルグアイ）でガーナを応援する理由を教えて下さいました。

この番組をベースに、記事もメイブリーのコラム「故郷はイングランド、ハートは大阪」にて公開しています。

日本語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.jp/2010/07/post-d4e1.html
英語版：　http://mabley.footballjapan.co.uk/2010/07/south-africa-so.html

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World Cup Special 8 - Japan vs. Paraguay last 16 live impressions

Ben Mabley — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 03:21:03 +0900

Ahead of my trip to South Africa this afternoon, today’s podcast is a rather more ad-libbed collection of thoughts recorded throughout what turned out to be an emotional last 16 game between Japan and Paraguay.

The Football Japan Minutecast will be back in a few days’ time with the first of a special series of episodes recorded in Johannesburg during the latter stages of the 2010 World Cup.

World Cup second round results
Holland 2-1 Slovakia
Brazil 3-0 Chile
Paraguay 0-0 Japan (after extra time; Paraguay win 5-3 on penalties)
Spain L-L Portugal

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World Cup Special 7 - Japan vs. Paraguay last 16 preview

Ben Mabley — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 23:56:59 +0900

After securing their first ever wins and qualification from the group stage in a World Cup held away from home soil, the Japanese national team will now seek to go one better when they face Paraguay in Pretoria tomorrow afternoon for a place in the quarter-finals.

Confidence is soaring both inside and outside the camp after last Thursday’s convincing 3-1 victory over Denmark sealed second spot in Group E. Takeshi Okada’s ‘best four’ target - which became a major source for mockery among both pundits and supporters as Japan suffered a run of successive losses in the lead-up to the tournament - is suddenly being spoken about in serious terms again, but the manager himself has insisted that this next step will be the most significant.

“The hurdle of reaching the last eight has always been in the back of my mind since our opening game,” said Okada yesterday. “Right now, we are concentrating solely on beating Paraguay.”

This is a hurdle that Japan have tried and failed to overcome once before, leading some domestic observers to recall the mistakes of the co-hosted World Cup in 2002. Then, Philippe Troussier’s side surrendered meekly during their second round game in Miyagi against Turkey, who went on to beat Senegal in the last eight before losing narrowly to eventual champions Brazil in the semi-finals. Many still see this as a missed opportunity caused by premature satisfaction at simply qualifying from the group stage, and in this respect, popular opinion is beginning to accept that there may have been some logic behind Okada’s lofty aspirations after all.

Both current captain Makoto Hasebe and predecessor Yuji Nakazawa have declared that the players do indeed have the hunger to keep on progressing this time around, while Okada and left-back Yuto Nagatomo have also spoken about their desire to fly the flag for Asia after South Korea’s 2-1 defeat to Uruguay on Saturday left Japan as the competition’s only remaining AFC representatives. History would not appear to be on the side of the Samurai Blue, however, as South American teams have won eight of the previous ten encounters between the two continents at World Cups, with solitary group stage draws for North Korea against Chile in 1966 and South Korea against Bolivia in 1994.

That said, victory for Paraguay at the Loftus Versfield Stadium would also represent their first ever victory in the knockout stages of a World Cup after falling at the last 16 on three previous occasions. Despite finishing top of a group containing reigning world champions Italy, La Albirroja looked out of sorts in their goalless draw with New Zealand last week and will have to do without defensive midfielder Victor Cáceres through suspension. Coach Gerardo Martino also has to decide whether or not to include defender Antolín Alcaraz and midfielder Jonathan Santana - both of whom returned to training on Saturday after missing the final group game through injury - as Paraguay look for a way of nullifying the Japanese danger at set pieces.

“Obviously from what we saw the other day,” said Martino, “we need to try not to concede fouls near the area. When Japan find space they get men forward into attack and this is the most important issue to be careful about.”

Japan look certain to keep with the same starting eleven for the fourth game in a row after Marcus Tulio Tanaka announced that he has recovered from a knock picked up against Denmark. The Nagoya Grampus stopper has backed the likes of Keisuke Honda to maintain the side’s prowess at free-kicks, stating “Every goal is so much more precious now in this knockout stage and it is important we try to get our noses in front first. One thing we will have to try and do is vary our set-pieces to surprise the Paraguayans.”

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In six previous games between the two countries, Paraguay hold the upper hand with two victories to Japan’s one - including a 4-0 romp in their only competitive meeting at the 1999 Copa America - but Japan are unbeaten in three friendlies played so far this century. The second round match kicks off in Pretoria at 4pm local time (11pm Japanese time), with the winners set to play either Spain or Portugal in the last eight.

World Cup results
Group G
North Korea 0-3 Ivory Coast
Portugal 0-0 Brazil

Group H
Switzerland 0-0 Honduras
Chile 1-2 Spain

Second round
Uruguay 2-1 South Korea
United States 1-2 Ghana (after extra time)
Germany 4-1 England
Argentina 3-1 Mexico
Holland L-L Slovakia
Brazil L-L Chile

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World Cup Special 6 - Japan vs. Denmark report

Ben Mabley — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 21:35:18 +0900

Japan put in perhaps their finest ever performance - and certainly one of the most impressive by any team in South Africa thus far - to defeat Denmark 3-1 in Rustenburg last night and seal qualification to the knockout stages of the World Cup for the first time ever on foreign soil.

Two superb free kicks in the first half from Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo gave Takeshi Okada’s side a lead they never looked like surrendering, even after a late Danish rally had seen Jon Dahl Tomasson pull a single goal back with nine minutes remaining. Substitute forward Shinji Okazaki added a third in the dying moments of the game to guarantee the win, sparking scenes of jubilation both on the substitutes’ bench and in bars, homes, and streets throughout Japan shortly after 5am local time.

Unsurprisingly, Okada continued with the same eleven that had beaten Cameroon in their opening Group E game before losing narrowly to Holland five days previously, but the manager did raise a few eyebrows by pushing Makoto Hasebe forward to support the attack in what therefore became a 4-2-3-1 formation. Denmark coach Morten Olsen made two changes to his side, restoring Thomas Kahlenberg to the midfield in place of Jesper Grønkjær, while Per Krøldrup deputised for the suspended Simon Kjær in central defence.

The return to the formation that had worked in Asian qualification but rarely since handed the early initiative to Denmark - who needed a win to seal their place in the last 16 - as left-back Simon Poulsen found space to surge forward and combine with Tomasson in attacking positions. Okada quickly instructed Hasebe to step back and restore the 4-1-2-2-1 system of the previous two matches, but if observers feared this signalled an intention to play for the draw that would secure Japan’s progression, their worries were allayed when Daisuke Matsui and Hasebe both went close to scoring within a matter of seconds.

The opening goal then duly arrived on 17 minutes. Honda lined up a free-kick fully 30 yards from goal near the right-hand touchline, before firing a wickedly powerful shot with very little spin that Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen struggled to read before the ball eventually flew in past his outstretched right hand. With Japan now firmly in the ascendancy, it took only until the half-hour mark for Endo to double the lead from another set piece, this time with more conventional right-footed curl to take the ball around the wall from just outside the penalty area.

Olsen immediately reacted by sending on midfielder Jakob Poulsen for the disappointing Martin Jørgensen, but Japan continued to surge forwards and could have added a bizarre third shortly after the interval when Endo’s looping free-kick was spilled onto the post by Sørensen. Denmark finally found some momentum thereafter when Eiji Kawashima saved at the feet of Tomasson, before substitute Søren Larsen hit the crossbar with a cracking volley from 20 yards. The breakthrough eventually came when Hasebe was harshly penalised for a push on Daniel Agger inside the Japanese penalty area, though Tomasson needed two attempts to score after his weak spot kick was parried back to him by Kawashima.

Japan remained entirely unfazed, and put the icing on the cake of their finest ever achievement on 87 minutes when Honda danced past Dennis Rommedahl, before drawing Sørensen and squaring for Okazaki to slot home the easiest of finishes.

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The victory was, once again, a triumph for a manager who had endured fierce criticism in the months leading to the tournament for his lack of results and ideas in Japan’s warm-up matches. Okada admitted after the game that his tactical switch after just ten minutes had been necessary to restore stability, and praised his players for “fighting not as individuals but together, and proving conclusively that football is above all a team sport”.

Perhaps the most revealing comments as regards Japan’s upturn in fortunes came from man-of-the-match Honda. “I’m pleased,” said the CSKA Moscow midfielder, “but then not as much as I thought I would be. We’re still a long way from fulfilling our goals in this competition, and we need to show that nothing is impossible in the next game as well now. Until then, we can’t be satisfied”.

Japan will now take on Group F winners Paraguay in their second round match in Pretoria next Tuesday afternoon, after Gerardo Martino’s side secured qualification with a goalless draw against New Zealand. Holland sealed top spot in Group E thanks to a 2-1 victory over already-eliminated Cameroon, and will face Slovakia in the last 16 after their shock 3-2 win to knock out defending champions Italy.

World Cup results
Group D
Ghana 0-1 Germany
Australia 2-1 Serbia
(Germany win group, Ghana qualify in second)

Group F
Slovakia 3-2 Italy
Paraguay 0-0 New Zealand
(Paraguay win group, Slovakia qualify in second)

Group E
Denmark 1-3 Japan
Cameroon 1-2 Holland
(Holland win group, JAPAN qualify in second)

Group G
North Korea L-L Ivory Coast
Portugal L-L Brazil

Group H
Switzerland L-L Honduras
Chile L-L Spain

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World Cup Special 5 - Japan vs. Denmark preview

Ben Mabley — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 02:25:06 +0900

Japan go into their final Group E game with Denmark in Rustenburg on Thursday evening knowing a draw will be good enough to clinch their place in the World Cup knockout stages for only the second time ever - and the first on foreign soil.

A 2-1 victory for the Danes over Cameroon last Saturday was enough to maintain their hopes of qualifying for the last sixteen - a feat they have managed in each of their previous three Finals appearances - but the slender goal difference advantage enjoyed by Japan after a tense 1-0 defeat to Holland means that Morten Olsen’s side will require all three points to progress.

Merely to stand on the brink of history represents a significant achievement in itself for Takeshi Okada and his players after a dismal build up to the World Cup in South Africa had seen the team booed by their own fans and fiercely castigated in the domestic media. A widely criticised tactical switch to a more pragmatic 4-1-2-2-1 system during Japan’s pre-tournament training camp bore instant fruits with a 1-0 win in their opening group match against Cameroon - sparking a complete U-turn in media and supporter opinion which has remained highly optimistic even in spite of the narrow loss to the Dutch.

The situation is certainly far more promising than four years ago in Germany, when Japan needed both to rely on events elsewhere and to beat defending champions Brazil by at least two goals - despite taking a first-half lead, Zico’s side were ultimately demolished by the manager’s compatriots in the second half to lose 4-1. On home soil in 2002, Philippe Troussier’s Japan were able to go one better than the required draw in beating Tunisia 2-0 to finish top of their first round group, but Okada’s previous experience at France ’98 saw the team eliminated even before their final match against Jamaica following defeats to both Argentina and Croatia.

Despite Japan’s unexpectedly fine showing so far in this year’s World Cup having being built upon a solid defence, the manager has once again emphasised the dangers of playing for a draw and insisted that victory is the main objective against Denmark. In unusually relaxed mood during his press conference in Rustenburg on Wednesday, Okada joked that he hoped his side could ‘win 10-0 and take the pressure off’, but admitted that it was rather more likely ‘to be a very close, fierce match’.

With no new injury worries, Okada appears certain to remain loyal both to the formation and to the players that have started Japan’s two games so far, meaning that Keisuke Honda will continue up front and Yuki Abe will resume his highly successful destructive role in defensive midfield. Eiji Kawashima, who has not received the same level of criticism back home as in much of the international press for his fumble against Holland, is expected to keep his place in goal ahead of Seigo Narazaki.

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Denmark are also free of injuries, but Palermo defender Simon Kjær will miss the game with Japan after picking up yellow cards against both Holland and Cameroon. Per Krøldrup of Fiorentina is likely to deputise, while midfielder Daniel Jensen could be in line for his first start of the competition after replacing the disappointing Martin Jørgensen at half-time on Saturday.

Thursday’s match at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium kicks off at 8.30pm local time (3.30am on Friday Japanese time). The only previous meeting between the two sides came in a friendly back in 1971, when Japan were beaten 3-2 in Copenhagen despite a brace from legendary forward Kunishige Kamamoto.

World Cup results
Group F
Slovakia 0-2 Paraguay
Italy 1-1 New Zealand

Group G
Brazil 3-1 Ivory Coast
Portugal 7-0 North Korea

Group H
Chile 1-0 Switzerland
Spain 2-0 Honduras

Group A
Mexico 0-1 Uruguay
France 1-2 South Africa
(Uruguay win group, Mexico qualify in second)

Group B
Nigeria 2-2 South Korea
Greece 0-2 Argentina
(Argentina win group, South Korea qualify in second)

Group C
Slovenia 0-1 England
United States 1-0 Algeria
(United States win group, England qualify in second)

Group D
Ghana L-L Germany
Australia L-L Serbia

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World Cup Special 4 - Japan vs. Holland report

Ben Mabley — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:55:31 +0900

A blunder by goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima allowed Wesley Sneijder to clinch a 1-0 victory for Holland on Saturday as another strong defensive performance from Japan went unrewarded.

After a goalless first half, Sneijder latched onto a pass from Robin van Persie - who may have controlled the ball with his hand - to fire a speculative right-footed shot from just outside the Japanese penalty area on 52 minutes. Diving to his right, Kawashima looked to have the powerful effort covered but failed to get both hands to it and watched in horror as the ball deflected off his left glove into the net behind him.

Despite speculation that Japan might adopt a more attacking formation after their tense 1-0 win over Cameroon last Monday, coach Takeshi Okada went with an unchanged line-up that saw Keisuke Honda once again positioned as a lone forward, with Yoshito Okubo and Daisuke Matsui manning the flanks and Yuki Abe providing defensive cover in midfield. Opposite number Bert van Marwijk also remained loyal to the eleven that had beaten Denmark 2-0 at Soccer City, with Rafael van der Vaart retaining his place at left wing in the continued absence of Arjen Robben.

The Japanese system had effectively neutralised the threat of Samuel Eto’o and Pierre Webo during the opening group fixture, and after a testing start looked to be paying similar dividends against the group favourites too as Abe in particular continued to block the Dutch path through to danger man Sneijder. With eight or nine white shirts behind the ball whenever Holland ventured forwards, Japan grew in confidence as they frustrated their opponents throughout the opening 45 minutes, and even managed to create the half’s best two chances on the counter. Left-back Yuto Nagatomo fired a low shot wide of Maarten Stekelenburg’s left-hand post, while Matsui tested the goalkeeper with a dipping volley late on.

Sneijder’s goal early in the second period meant that Japan had to adopt a more ambitious approach thereafter, but despite taking hold of the game as the uncharacteristically influent Dutch sat back on their lead, Okada’s men struggled to create genuine opportunities to equalise. Van Persie sliced the ball over his own crossbar with 20 minutes remaining as Shunsuke Nakamura, Shinji Okazaki, and Keiji Tamada were all sent on to provide greater numbers going forward.

The match truly opened up in a frantic final five minutes as Eljero Elia - who managed two assists on his international debut against Japan last year - fed fellow substitute Ibrahim Afellay only to be denied by Kawashima, who then continued his redemption with another save from the PSV Eindhoven winger moments later. The stops might have been crucial as Marcus Tulio Tanaka put Okazaki through on goal in stoppage time, but the Shimizu S-Pulse forward fired over from eight yards to end Japan’s hopes of stealing a point.

Speaking on Japanese television moments after the final whistle as the relieved Dutch players celebrated on the pitch, a visibly drained Takeshi Okada said he was “frustrated” with the result. “It’s a shame because we tried hard to get an equaliser. The players worked well as a team both in defence and in attack. We don’t know what will happen in the group’s other matches but we will of course do our best to beat Denmark.”

Captain Makoto Hasebe stressed the need to take the positives from what was an impressive performance overall despite Japan’s lack of potency in front of goal. “Every player gave 100%. Our defence was well organised and we managed to get forward more effectively too, so we now have to carry this into our third game as well.”

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Denmark recovered from an early Samuel Eto’o opener in the other Group E game to beat Cameroon 2-1 thanks to goals from Nicklas Bendtner and Dennis Rommedahl. The result means that Cameroon are the first nation to be eliminated from this year’s World Cup, while Japan will only need a draw to ensure their place in the last 16 when they face the Danes in Rustenburg this Thursday.

World Cup results
Group C
Slovenia 2-2 United States
England 0-0 Algeria

Group D
Germany 0-1 Serbia
Ghana 1-1 Australia

Group E
Holland 1-0 Japan
Cameroon 1-2 Denmark

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World Cup Special 3 - Japan vs. Holland preview

Ben Mabley — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 23:59:09 +0900

Neither Japan nor Holland may have been able to enjoy their scheduled training sessions at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban today due to heavy rain, but the mood in the former camp remains highly positive after Monday’s 1-0 win over Cameroon left the Samurai Blue in an excellent position to qualify for the knockout stages of a World Cup for only the second time ever.

Victory tomorrow against the Dutch - who beat Denmark 2-0 in their opener - will ensure Japan’s passage to the last 16 with a game to spare unless the Danes beat Cameroon later, while even defeat will still leave Takeshi Okada’s men in charge of their own destiny going into the group’s final fixtures next Thursday.

The manager could, therefore, be excused for viewing any points gained from Bert van Marwijk’s men as a bonus and adopting a similarly defensive strategy as against Cameroon, but has instead vowed to attack 35-year-old Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s perceived lack of pace at left-back in order to get behind the Holland defence.

“We are not a side that approaches any game looking for a draw,” said Okada in a press conference on Thursday. “From the start, we will be going there to win.”

A series of similarly upbeat comments from the coaching staff and squad this week have sparked much speculation within the Japanese media about further changes in tactics. A mooted shift to 4-4-2 was quickly dismissed by Okada, but several news sources have predicted a return to the starting eleven for Shinji Okazaki - partly in light of the revelation that the Shimizu S-Pulse striker was among a trio of players to have struggled with the altitude in Bloemfontein and at the team’s pre-tournament training camp in Switzerland.

Okazaki was brought on in a straight swap for Yoshito Okubo to play the final 22 minutes against Cameroon on the left wing. Should the 24-year-old be fielded from the start at sea level in Durban, either Okubo or Daisuke Matsui would appear likeliest to miss out, depending on whether or not Monday’s hero Keisuke Honda continues as a lone forward or drops back to his more familiar position in attacking midfield.

Any rethink concerning the protective cushion of three at the base of midfield would be a surprise, considering how much more cohesive Japan have looked since abandoning their previous 4-2-3-1 system following a 2-0 defeat to South Korea in their final home warm-up last month. Anchorman Yuki Abe could, however, be rested tomorrow to avoid the risk of a second yellow card ahead of the crucial third match against Denmark, with Junichi Inamoto of Kawasaki Frontale favourite to deputise.

Right-back Atsuto Uchida and goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki are the other two players thought to have suffered at altitude, but while Uchida will resume a three-way battle for a starting berth with Yuichi Komano and the now fully fit Yasuyuki Konno, Eiji Kawashima looks to have cemented his place between the sticks following another assured performance against Cameroon.

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With a previously critical Japanese press having seemingly recovered their faith in Okada and his players, much of the media attention has now switched to avenging the only previous meeting between Japan and Holland just nine months ago. The friendly match in Enschede was a particularly chastening experience for Keisuke Honda, then of Eredivisie side VVV Venlo, who was introduced after a scoreless first half only to see goals from Robin van Persie, Wesley Sneijder, and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar give the Dutch a comfortable 3-0 win.

Eljero Elia of Hamburg marked his debut that day with two assists - also as a half-time substitute - and could be in line for a start tomorrow after coming off the bench to set up a goal for Dirk Kuijt against Denmark. Rafael van der Vaart had started at left wing on Monday in place of injured regular Arjen Robben, who will undergo a late fitness test on a hamstring strain to determine if he can play any part against Japan.

The match kicks off at 1.30pm local time (8.30pm Japanese time).

World Cup results
Group F
New Zealand 1-1 Slovakia

Group G
Ivory Coast 0-0 Portugal
Brazil 2-1 North Korea

Group H
Honduras 0-1 Chile
Spain 0-1 Switzerland

Group A
South Africa 0-3 Uruguay
France 0-2 Mexico

Group B
Argentina 4-1 South Korea
Greece 2-1 Nigeria

Group D
Germany 0-1 Serbia

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World Cup Special 2 - Japan vs. Cameroon report

Ben Mabley — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 21:43:35 +0900

After all the trials and tribulations of the past few months, Japan’s World Cup campaign in South Africa got off to the perfect start yesterday at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein as Keisuke Honda’s first half strike sealed a 1-0 victory over Group E rivals Cameroon.

Playing as a centre-forward for the first time ever in a competitive match, Honda coolly slotted past goalkeeper Hamidou Souleymanou at the far post on 38 minutes after Daisuke Matsui’s deep cross from the right-hand flank had evaded the leaps of Cameroon defenders Nicolas N’Koulou and Stephane Mbia.

The pre-match rumours over Takeshi Okada’s latest tactical evolutions had proved correct when Honda was named at the head of an attacking trio alongside Yoshito Okubo and the recalled Matsui, with Shunsuke Nakamura paying for his loss of form with a place on the bench despite recovering from an ankle injury. The only other change from the recent series of friendlies was a place for Yuichi Komano at right back; preferred to Atsuto Uchida after Yasuyuki Konno’s knee problem was deemed not worth risking.

Without a single recognised striker on the pitch, Japan began the game in cautious fashion as Honda frequently dropped back into midfield, while Yuki Abe’s presence ahead of the back four helped break up the few attacks that a surprisingly lacklustre Cameroon forward line could muster. After a dour opening quarter that unfortunately reflected much of the football on show in South Africa thus far, Okada’s side began to grow in confidence as they controlled more of the possession, before Honda’s goal provided a crucial advantage to take into half time.

Samuel Eto’o had looked frustrated on the right of a forward three for much of the opening period, but his intervention created the first good chance for the Indomitable Lions three minutes after the interval as the Inter Milan star beat three Japan defenders, only for Maxim Choupo-Moting to fire over the crossbar. Shinji Okazaki was introduced in a straight swap for Okubo on the left flank to add extra energy to the Japan attack, and came closest to doubling the lead with ten minutes remaining when hitting the post after Makoto Hasebe’s initial effort had been parried by Souleymanou.

Despite little else to excite the neutrals up to this point, Cameroon finally discovered some attacking rhythm in the closing moments as Japan began to invite more pressure in a manner eerily similar to their opening World Cup game against Australia in 2006. Then, three late goals had given the Socceroos a dramatic 3-1 victory, but Japan were spared a repeat this time as Mbia’s 30-yard effort crashed off the crossbar with five minutes remaining, before Eiji Kawashima saved brilliantly from substitute Mohammadou Idrissou in stoppage time.

The win was a triumph for Japan boss Okada, who has been under enormous pressure this year from a domestic media unhappy with both results and the recent switch in formation. On this occasion, the surprise deployment of Honda as a forward in the new 4-1-2-2-1 system paid dividends, but the manager was quick to pass credit to his players, saying that they had ‘worked together as a team to clinch a good victory’.

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Japan will now move on to the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban for Saturday’s meeting against group favourites Holland, who kicked off with a 2-0 victory over Denmark at Soccer City yesterday thanks to a Daniel Agger own goal and a late second from Dirk Kuijt.

World Cup results
Group E
Holland 2-0 Denmark
Japan 1-0 Cameroon

Group F
Italy 1-1 Paraguay

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Football Japan Minutecast

Antlers fight back to go three clear as Grampus and S-Pulse play out six-goal thriller