Takeshi Okada’s decision to close training sessions to the media shows just how critical tomorrow’s World Cup qualifier is to the Japanese.
Having had weeks to prepare for the match, albeit minus their European contingent, Japan’s decision to close the doors on training smacks of desperation.
The lock-out won’t have bothered Pim Verbeek – who lead South Korea to a penalty shoot-out victory over Japan in the semi-finals of the 2007 Asian Cup – but it begs the question of what the Blue Samurai have up their sleeves.
And judging from some of the comments emanating from Australian fans ahead of the match, it makes me wonder whether some of Japan’s secret weapons have flown under the radar.
Plenty of conjecture in the build up to the game suggests that the Socceroos will make the most of a supposed aerial advantage.
Yet a cursory glance at the Japan squad reveals that centre-backs Yuji Nakazawa and Marcus Tulio Tanaka are their two tallest players. More importantly, they are by far the most aggressive.
So aggressive are Nakazawa and Tulio, in fact, that they represent one of Japan’s biggest goal threats. They’ve each scored twice in qualifying so far.
With the overwhelming majority of Japan’s recent goals having stemmed from set plays, and with giant Australia striker Joshua Kennedy out of favour at club side Karlsruher SC, the Japanese arguably pose as much of an aerial threat as the Australians.
Japan’s lack of firepower has also been alleviated somewhat by the emergence of Shimizu S-Pulse front man Shinji Okazaki.
Australian fans may remember him for scoring the winner in Japan’s 2-1 win over the Olyroos in a pre-Olympic friendly in Kobe last July.
Since stepping up to the full national team, Okazaki has continued his goal scoring form – opening the scoring in a 2-1 Asian Cup qualifying win over Yemen, before registering twice in Japan’s 5-1 friendly win over Finland.
It would be foolish to read too much into the win over what was literally Finland’s B-team – the Finns lost 1-0 in a friendly to J2 side Shonan Bellmare just days earlier – but given that Okazaki is currently brimming with confidence, he could be the ace up Takeshi Okada’s sleeve.
In spite of Okazaki’s recent form he may find his way to a starting place blocked by Nagoya Grampus striker Keiji Tamada, and if there is one other area that poses questions it’s in the left-back position.
No less than three players are jostling for a place in the starting eleven, and there are question marks over all three.
Current incumbent Yuto Nagamoto is raw at international level, and questions remain over his composure under pressure.
Veteran Yuichi Komano is a Scott Chipperfield-style “Mr Versatility,” but while the Jubilo Iwata man is often deployed as a left-back by his national team, he’s nominally a midfielder.
The other option is Gamba Osaka’s dynamic Michihiro Yasuda, and although he has become a fan favourite for his penchant for bombing forward from the back, he’s arguably a defensive liability.
On the other flank youngster Atsuto Uchida is also renowned for raiding forward, so Australia could exploit some gaps in behind the Japanese full-backs.
In midfield, however, Japan will be strengthened by the return of key men Shunsuke Nakamura and Yasuhito Endo.
And with enigmatic striker Yoshito Okubo having recently made a 2.5 million euro switch to ambitious Bundesliga outfit VfL Wolfsburg, Pim Verbeek will hope that Wednesday is not the night that Japan’s attack clicks into gear.
Whatever their strengths and weaknesses, Japan will provide the kind of test that Australia was hoping for when the AFC green-lighted the switch to Asia.
The verbal sparring is behind us. Now it’s time for the real deal.
Cameron Burgess scored the winner to confirm Ipswich’s status as a Premier League club.
Socceroo Cameron Burgess has put Ipswich within touching distance of the Premier League after a 2-1 win over Coventry in the English Championship. Kieffer…
Who stood out from the Australians both here and overseas in a busy week of the world game? Goalkeeper - Mathew Ryan- 3-0 win…
Even though St.Pauli ultimately lost a high-scoring affair, Jackson Irvine was a standout, as well as scoring a late goal.
What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
A good performance from Michael Ruhs, scoring twice to beat Macarthur and doubling his season goal tally in the process.
