Rumours continuing to link Adelaide United captain Travis Dodd with a move to J. League champions Kashima Antlers won’t go down well with fans of the South Australian side.
But it’s the new reality now that Japan’s “Asian berth” rule has kicked into effect.
The forward-thinking Gamba Osaka became one of the first clubs to utilise the new rule, announcing on Christmas Day the signing of Korean international striker Cho Jae-Jin from K-League outfit Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
Jae-Jin’s signing will have gone down like a lead balloon with fans of Shimizu S-Pulse, for whom the burly striker was a cult hero during a three-year spell at the club.
Nevertheless, Jae-Jin’s return to the J. League heralds a new age of progressiveness in Japanese football.
The A-League doesn’t necessarily need to be the big loser when it comes to Japanese clubs signing regional talent, because the “Asian berth” rule can work both ways.
Adelaide United have demonstrated as much, with United’s football director Michael Petrillo admitting this month that his club was interested in signing 26-year-old Japanese striker Yutaka Tahara.
Tahara was recently released by Japanese top flight club Kyoto Sanga, and although he doesn’t quite represent the cream of the J. League crop, he’s a step in the right direction.
Kyoto coach Hisashi Kato once made a startling admission to respected J. League columnist Jeremy Walker, revealing that Tahara had been left out of the Sanga starting eleven during Japan’s hot summer months because his penchant for guzzling sugary drinks had rendered him unfit!
Should Tahara make the jump to the A-League, here’s hoping that he steers clear of the Powerade.
More importantly, let’s hope that he’s the first of many Japanese players to make the switch to Australian football.
That might be easier said than done.
Yes, the money in Japan is decent – but it’s no where near what many Australian fans seem to believe, although speculating exact J. League wages is pointless given that it’s illegal to publish salaries in Japan.
Instead the reason that many Japanese players are reluctant to consider a move overseas has to do with their struggles to adapt to an alien culture.
The age-old route for young Australian players has been to move to Britain, where they are welcomed by a familiar language and diet upon setting foot in the Mother Country.
There’s no such route for Japanese players.
Many young Japanese lack the confidence to communicate in English, and those that do travel must grow accustomed to a diet radically different from the fish and rice-based cuisine they are used to in their home land.
These are by no means insurmountable obstacles, of course, but when faced with a choice of chancing their luck in an unknown land or continuing as a household name in Japan – to football fans at least – it’s no wonder that most Japanese players choose to play their club football at home.
His comments may have put a few noses out of joint, but I agree with the views of new Newcastle Jets high performance manager Ian Crook, who recently suggested that Australian teams should target players from the Japanese Second Division, or J2 as it’s known over here.
There’s plenty of decent talent in the upper echelons of J2, although Avispa Fukuoka fans could be forgiven for holding a grudge with the A-League, after both Crook and ex-Sydney FC coach Pierre Littbarski were sacked by struggling Fukuoka this season.
Whether Yutaka Tahara signs with Adelaide United or not, I hope that some Japanese players do consider making the move to the A-League.
The “Asian berth” rule is a fantastic idea, and it’s one well worth considering for the A-League.
The FFA would do well to officially put it on the books.
Here is the way the Roar expert panel sees all the action unfolding across the final weekend of play prior to the semi-finals.
It was not too long ago that it was no guarantee that the best youth talents from South Australia would make their A-League debuts…
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
Mathew Leckie played a pivotal part in Melbourne City claiming an 8-nil win; playing a role in several of his team's goals.
A 10-man Macarthur FC have scored twice in the final 10 minutes and goalkeeper Filip Kurto saved an added-time penalty to defeat Adelaide United…
Clubs have cited regulations claiming players who decline national team call-ups ought to be prevented from featuring at a domestic level.
