Melbourne Victory’s Japanese superstar Keisuke Honda experienced the highs and lows of football this week as he was on each side of a 4-1 scoreline.
Just over 24 hours after turning in another masterful display for Melbourne Victory in their 4-1 demolition of Central Coast Mariners at AAMI Park on Sunday evening, Honda suited up on the sidelines of the Mandalarthiri Stadium in central Myanmar on Monday night as Cambodia – the national team he manages in a bizarre dual role – were smashed 4-1 by a rampant Myanmar in their second match at this year’s AFF Suzuki Cup.
The sight of Honda, dapperly dressed on the sidelines barking instructions to his team, is one that still leads to plenty of head scratching. Certainly we’ve never seen a situation like it before, but then again Honda is not afraid to break new ground and do things a little differently.
Perhaps there’s still plenty of head scratching going on at Melbourne Victory HQ about the situation too, how else do you explain the absolute silence from them when it comes to anything Cambodia-related from their new star signing?
Victory are like most A-League clubs in that they talk a big game when it comes to Asia, but it’s so often not backed up with any action. Remember the fuss that was made over the ‘Victory in Asia’ business group that was going to leverage business opportunities in Asia?
Or what about the lack of Japanese content on their social media channels? I count just two tweets this season in Japanese, both promoting the live YouTube stream of matches. Surely the club could’ve engaged a savvy bi-lingual local to create a dedicated Japanese-language Melbourne Victory social media presence to really engage with the Japanese audience.
Melbourne Victory are favourites to go back-to-back. (Photo by Mike Owen/Getty Images)
Sadly it seems that is an opportunity that will go begging, just like the chance to develop stronger links in Southeast Asia on the back of Honda’s association with Cambodia.
The AFF Suzuki Cup is one of Asia’s biggest tournaments. It’s watched by millions of fans across the region, and for many in Southeast Asia this is their World Cup. You just have to look at the packed stadiums at the first few matches to realise how much this tournament means. Cambodia had close to 35,000 for their opener against Malaysia last week.
And yet, from Melbourne Victory there has been silence. Not a single update about how Cambodia is progressing (spoiler alert – not well!) If he were playing during the international break for Japan you can rest assured there would be updates. So why not when he is managing a national team in a major international tournament?
Admittedly, they’re not helped by the fact the live stream on YouTube is geoblocked in Australia, but why not try and rally some support for Cambodia, encourage fans to adopt Cambodia as their team and track their progress throughout the tournament? Have some fun with it and engage with a tournament that is so popular across the region.
But aside from that, Honda gives Melbourne Victory a foot in the door in a football mad region. As bizarre as the dual role may be, why not use it as an opportunity to grow the club’s “brand” in the football mad country?
Use Honda’s role to open doors for business opportunities, establish a mutual partnership with the Football Federation of Cambodia or a local club, do a pre-season tour, run clinics for local children, explore what potential sponsorship opportunities might be available, especially with the ACL on the horizon.
Tourism boards are keen to promote themselves through football (any Arsenal fans considering a trip to Rwanda by any chance?!), perhaps that is an avenue to explore.
The A-League should do more to capitalise on Keisuke Honda’s popularity. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
And with their league season finished, why not invite one of their players to come and train at the club for a few weeks, who knows you may unearth a gem that wasn’t previously on your radar?
Someone like Chan Vathanaka, the wunderkid (if you can call him that anyway at 24 years of age) of Cambodian football, or perhaps someone younger that you can look to develop over time. There is an abundance of talent in Southeast Asia, and in Honda they now have a perfect scout who can help identify those players.
There are a plethora of ideas that could be explored, and maybe they are behind closed doors, but given the silence we’re getting in public, sadly I doubt that is the case.
The reason you sign a marquee player like Honda is not only for what he can deliver on the park, but the potential he can deliver off it as well.
Don’t let this be another wasted opportunity.
Bendtner52
Roar Pro
They must have read the article :-)
paul
Guest
Still rate it ahead of the sports you like
paul
Guest
UPDATE: Melbourne Victory Facebook page just posted pictures of KH handing out Victory gear and coaching youngsters in Cambodia.
Bendtner52
Roar Pro
A good read. Surely though, the best way to get serious about Asia would be to put everything into the ACL, with Honda leading the way. Success on the field could lead to some success off it with Honda as their poster-boy, to your point on 'what he can deliver off the field'. Imagine if they were playing Kashima Antlers, every other J-league's clubs fans would surely be rooting for their 98 cap man's new club! Also, some small promotion on Victories part around the Cambodia national team would only serve to educate Australian soccer fans on whether 4-1 against Myanmar is a good result or not
Kangas
Roar Rookie
The only domestic elite football competition in Australia too . Although a second division will give more players a chance to wear pinstripes suits .
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
The A-League may well be the poorest quality domestic elite competition in Australian sport but Honda certainly wears an Italian pinstripe suit well.
paul
Guest
We need to bother with Asia as members of the Asian Football Confederation. Granted, we should negotiate with the AFC to consider broadening their reach not to mention providing more support for teams entering in their competitions. I'm currently reading a book about Qatar's WC bid and am incensed at how AFC resources were squandered by Mohammed Bin Hammam in the effort to bring the WC to Qatar (even as Australia, Japan and Korea were ALSO bidding for 2022). Would love to see SBS broadcasting the AFC Champions League (all the way to the final).
paul
Guest
Let's focus on the South East. Believe me, it's a two way race between China and Japan.
Wise Old Elf
Guest
Why should Victory give a toss about Asia anymore it concerns itself with the Americas, Africa or Europe. To be honest, I just cannot find the time in my life to bother with Asia. They are not serious footballing nations and certainly won't help us. The AFC running the sport continues to flog its rights to the pay tv cabals, minimizing the audience so why should we waste our time with them if that is their clear intention.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
If you're talking about the whole of Asia, China has only one rival now, and I don't think it's Japan.
paul
Guest
Right now, there are two countries vying for geopolitical supremacy in Asia. China and Japan. The US has fallen asleep with Donald Trump failing to appoint an Under-Secretary of State for South East Asia. Australia's government seems to pre-occupied with leadership struggles and needs to shore up support in the South Pacific (not easy when these islands are being swallowed by rising seas while we continue to burn coal and our Home Affairs Minister laughs about it). As such, Japan is the only country seriously challenging China's influence in SE Asia. I can't help but think Honda's appointment to managing Cambodia's NT has political undertones. The authoritarian government of Hun Sen has been very close to China since the end of the Khmer Rouge (and don't forget that China was the only other country to have diplomatic relations with the Khmer Rouge regime). The Japanese are trying their hardest to ensure that the nations of SE Asia aren't following China all the way and these efforts are apparent in Myanmar as well. Sadly, Australia's attitude to Cambodia seems to be limited to dumping our asylum seekers there (for a steep price admittedly) so don't expect football diplomacy any time soon.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Very well put. If the Victory board had a to-do list of 50 items, you'd be hard pressed to see any mention of Cambodia (other than to talk Honda out of such a distraction).
Klinsmann
Guest
Hey - go easy you guys. Both have a reasonable perspective. Maybe Cambodia just need a better coach ?
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Might be thoughtful, but for anyone to expect that a large number of Australian sports fans are going to show interest in how Cambodian soccer is going, is something out of fantasy land. Still, it was a good read, and it remains my contention that any team getting smashed by Myanmar has serious issues.
Nemesis
Guest
This is why posers like you are a pest on the football forum. Paul Williams has written a thoughtful discussion piece on an issue that is unique to football and you find a way to hijack the discussion with a snipe just to try to diminish every aspect of football. Why does The Roar allow this pest to ruin every football discussion with his juvenile snide remarks? Surely, the website owners have realised people like this poser have ruined this vibrant football forum, compared to what it was 5 years ago? PS: Myanmar qualified for the u20 FIFA World Cup in 2015. whilst all 5 AFC men's teams who competed at the senior World Cup in 2018: AUS, KOR, JPN, IRN, KSA; did not qualify.
Phil
Guest
I’m a passionate & paid up MVFC member and I couldn’t care less about Cambodia’s football team. Nor is Cambodia a country I necessarily want MVFC to be actively associated with. To conflate “MVFC being serious about Asia” and “MVFC actively involving themselves with Honda’s role as coach for Cambodia” is odd. I would rather MVFC devote their time & resources to getting out of the group stage in ACL.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
Any team getting smashed by Myanmar 4-1 has some serious issues.