Surprise, surprise. There were no other nominees for this award. Tadanari Lee’s 109th minute, Asian Cup winning volley is the 2011 Japan Footblog Goal of the Year.
Feel free to suggest other notable goals, but I doubt they’ll be better or more important than this one. Look forward to the award winners, which will be announced at the end of the week!
Here are the nominees for the inaugural end-of-year Japan Footblog Player of the Year Awards. Please let me know if there are any glaring misses or players that are more deserving.
Japanese Player in Europe: This award is for the player who was the most important for his club team. Bonus points if they were really good for the national team.
Japanese Player in J. League: This blog has focused on players in Europe but I promise that next season the J. League will be covered. The primary purpose of this award is to identify some of the players that could potentially make the jump to Europe, and to show some love to the J. League greats.
The blog is back! Sorry for the lack of posts over the past three weeks, I’ve been busy with finals and the holiday season. To make up for it I’ll be posting regularly for the next week and a half. First off, an update on how Japanese players have been doing over in the European leagues.
The star of the last month has undoubtedly been Yuto Nagatomo. The fullback scored in back-to-back games against Fiorentina and Genoa, both Inter wins. His goal against Genoa was a header, and at 5 foot 7 he was the shortest player on the pitch. Then, in the next game Nagatomo provided two assists in a 4-1 win over Lecce, giving Inter the trickery that they have missed as Wesley Sneijder has struggled this year. The win catapulted Inter into fifth place going into the winter break, incredible considering their terrible start to the season. Here are the highlights of Nagatomo terrorizing last place Lecce.
Shinji Kagawa is currently struggling with gastroenteritis and was forced to pull out of a charity match in Sendai to support earthquake relief efforts. However he did play well in the two matches leading up to the winter break in Germany. He scored in Dortmund’s 1-1 draw at home to Kaiserslautern. Then in Dortmund’s 4-1 away win against Freiburg, he set up three goals and was a constant threat throughout the match. For Dortmund’s first goal, Kagawa played an excellent one-two with Ilkay Gundogan before putting it on a plate for Robert Lewandowski. In the 59th minute, Kagawa played a ball between two Freiburg defenders to put Lewandowski through. The Pole opted to wait for support and then served it up for Grosskreutz who curled it off the far post for Dortmund’s third. Finally in the 70th minute, Kagawa put Grosskreutz through who then provided Lewandowski with a tap-in to finish the scoring. The win put Dortmund into second place on goal difference ahead of Schalke, and only three points behind Bayern. It was a good finish to the first half of the season for Kagawa, who at times was outshone by the likes of Mario Gotze and Lewandowski, but these performances will encourage him to improve further in the second half. Highlights for the Freiburg match are here.
December has been decent to Japan’s other Bundesliga star. Makoto Hasebe was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in Wolfsburg’s 2-2 draw with Mainz. The Japanese captain was carded twice in less than ten minutes to earn an early trip home. However, he was crucial in front of the defense in his next match, a 1-0 win over Stuttgart. Compatriot Shinji Okazaki watched the match from the Stuttgart bench as an unused substitute. He had a quiet month, with no goals in four matches.
Takashi Usami has had a good month in Bayern’s reserves, as he continues to destroy lower league defenses. He scored a goal in Bayern II’s 4-1 away win at Karlsruher II. Then he came on as a substitute in the first team’s 2-0 away loss against Manchester City.
Michihiro Yasuda had an excellent December with Vitesse. The Arnhem side went undefeated in four December matches, with three wins and a draw, conceding only once–in a 2-1 cup win over FC Eindhoven. Yasuda has been a vital part of a defense that has not conceded a goal in the Eredivisie for over 400 minutes. Vitesse has risen to 6th place during this stretch.
On the other hand, VVV Venlo continued to struggle in December and have entered the winter break second to last and firmly on course for relegation. Venlo won once and lost twice in the month, including a 7-0 loss away at Heracles. Maya Yoshida and Robert Cullen will hope for vast improvement in the second half of the season.
FC Utrecht had an equally torrid month, with one draw and two losses. However, Yoshiaki Takagi started all three of the matches.
Finally, Hiroshi Ibusuki scored three times in as many December games for Sevilla II. He now has eleven goals in 18 matches for the reserves, already one more than he had all of last season.
Look forward to more posts all of this week, including a year review of the national team and the first annual Japan Footblog Player of the Year Award!
Shinji Kagawa played most of Dortmund’s 1-0 win at Bayern. The win brought Borussia to within two points of Bayern, who have been in first place for most of the season. In Europe, Dortmund lost away 2-1 to Arsenal. Kagawa scored his first Champions League goal in stoppage time, but that will be scant consolation as Dortmund's hopes of progression are now hanging by a thread. They will have to beat Marseille by a big score and hope that Arsenal don’t ease up against Olympiakos in the other match despite already securing top spot in the group. Highlights here.
Keisuke Honda returned for CSKA after a three-month injury layoff in their 2-1 home loss to Rubin Kazan. Honda will be happy to have returned from a lengthy injury, but the loss undoubtedly dampened the occasion. He did not play in the midweek Champions League match, as CSKA completed a poor week with a 2-0 home loss to Lille. He woke up with pain in his just-healed knee, however the team doctors assured him that it was not an aggravation of his previous injury and that he would be back soon.
Hajime Hosogai played all 90 minutes of FC Augsburg’s 2-1 loss at Vfb Stuttgart. Shinji Okazaki started on the bench for Stuttgart but came on for Ibrahima Traore in the 74th minute.
Maya Yoshida and Robert Cullen both started Venlo’s 2-1 loss at FC Groningen, but Cullen had to come off in the 38th minute with an injury. The loss puts Venlo deeper into the relegation battle.
Finally, a bit of bad news to wrap up an underwhelming week for Japanese players in Europe. Ryo Miyaichi will be out until 2012, as his ankle injury will keep him out for 4-6 weeks.
I know this is a week late and a lot of this weekend’s matches have already been played. This update is for last week. I’m sorry for any confusion my tardiness may have caused. This week’s update will come in the next few days. Thanks.
There it is. Japan’s first loss since the World Cup.
First let me apologize for the lack of update over the last couple of weeks. Been busy, etc.
Secondly, I know that Japan had already secured progression into the next round of qualification, but I’m still a bit sad because of this result. Here are some reasons:
1. Always want to win, obviously.
2. Lose the title of ‘Unofficial World Champions.’ This really hurts because it was the first time that Japan had held the title, which they picked up when the beat Argentina last year. I was hoping that they could make into next year and have a run at the record of longest title reign, but I guess 16th longest after one try isn’t bad.
3. This was Japan’s first match in North Korea in 22 years. They had lost the last one, so it would’ve been nice to get one back, especially for the enthusiastic traveling fans.
4. Didn’t complete the calendar year undefeated. I know Japan’s unbeaten run had lasted over 365 days, but to have navigated an entire calendar year without losing would’ve been impressive. And to lose the last one of the year adds to the disappointment.
Highlights, if you can bear.
I don’t really have anything to say about the game, but good job Japan on a wonderful 2011. I’ll write more in my year wrap-up in December, but for now do the same–and more–next year.
Japan have qualified for the fourth round of World Cup qualifying, with a 4-0 away win at Tajikistan. Shinji Okazaki had two goals, while Yasuyuki Konno and Ryoichi Maeda added a goal each. While it wasn’t the 8-0 hammering that they dished out when the two teams met a month ago, it was a good performance in an unfamiliar setting.
Konno opened the scoring in the 36th minute, pouncing on the rebound of Kengo Nakamura’s shot. It was Konno’s first goal in 47 appearances for the national team. The FC Tokyo defender started the attack with an excellent tackle on the left side, eventually leading to captain Hasebe putting Nakamura through with a wonderful chipped pass. The Tajik keeper was able to keep Nakamura’s shot out, but was helpless to keep out Konno’s follow-up.
Okazaki made it 2-0 in the 61st minute with a header. Kagawa made easy work of the Tajik rightback, then sent in a perfect dinked cross to the far post, which Okazaki finished with expert ease.
Maeda made it 3-0 in the 82nd minute with a ferocious shot from the edge of the box. After receiving a pass from Hajime Hosogai, Maeda was forced right by good defending. Unable to penetrate the line of Tajik defenders or find Okazaki or Nakamura, Maeda went right and bypassed the defensive line altogether with an unstoppable shot to the near post. It was the sixth national team goal for the Jubilo Iwata legend.
It was 4-0 in stoppage time after Okazaki finished off a beautiful team goal. Yuichi Komano started the move with a headed pass to Kagawa, who controlled and shrugged off a defender. He passed to Kiyotake. Then the two Cerezo Osaka products played a brilliant one-two (Kagawa backheel). Then Kiyotake played another one-two with Maeda, then played a one-time pass to an open Okazaki on the right who powered home. Seven passes, goal. It was a goal that Spain and Barcelona would be proud of.
Some points: Japan shredded Tajikistan apart attacking from the left. Konno, Nakamura, Kiyotake, and Kagawa all combined well to play some pretty football.
Japan struggled at first with the dreadful pitch. However as the game wore on, they were able to complete more passes and create more chances. It was good to see the ability to adapt to an unfamiliar situation.
The squad is getting deeper. Zaccheroni has been playing a lot of different players and they are now getting used to the short passing style that he’s been implementing. There were good performances from those who wouldn’t necessarily walk into the first xi, Kiyotake and Maeda in particular. This is a very good sign.
Up next is the highly anticipated match at North Korea.
Shinji Kagawa was the Japanese star this weekend, as he scored a goal and had two glorious assists. He has been criticized this season for his inconsistent play, but he was in top form in Dortmund’s 5-1 demolition of Wolfsburg. He set up Mario Gotze with a slick backheel for the first, then scored the second just before halftime. In the second half he set up Robert Lewandowski with a heavenly pass with the outside of his boot. Lewandowski did his best to miss the opportunity but managed to score anyway. While Makoto Hasebe was probably unhappy with not playing, he can take comfort in the fact that he was in no way responsible for Wolfsburg’s capitulation. Highlights here.
Hajime Hosogai scored in Augsburg’s 2-1 home loss to Bayern. Goals from Mario ‘The Luckiest Player in the World’ Gomez and Franck Ribery had Bayern 2-0 before 30 minutes had gone. Hosogai netted in the 59th minute to make things interesting, however the newly promoted side were unable to complete the comeback. Takashi Usami was an unused substitute, probably a reward for his continued excellence for Bayern II. Usami has scored five times in nine games for the reserves. Highlights here.
Shinji Okazaki started, got a yellow card, and was subbed off in the 64th minute of Stuttgart’s 3-1 loss at Mainz. All in all, not his best day.
Both Maya Yoshida and Robert Cullen started Venlo’s 0-0 draw with Excelsior. Yoshida played the entire match, but Cullen was subbed off for Michael Uchebo, who is wanted by Stoke. Transfer rumours!
A bit of bad news now, as Ryo was injured in Arsenal reserves 2-0 reserve win over Fulham reserves. He was taken off in the 30th minute with an ankle injury that will keep him out for a minimum of three weeks, according to reserve team coach Neil Banfield. This means he will not feature in the Carling Cup match against Man City. He did play well in his 30 minutes though!
Another injury note: Nagatomo’s calf is still hurt, so he had to pull out of Japan squad, and was replaced by Vitesse’s Michihiro Yasuda, who incidentally played all of Vitesse’s 1-0 loss to NAC Breda over the weekend.
Some good news to end the report: 20 year-old, 6 foot 5, Hiroshi Ibusuki was given a place on the Sevilla bench in this weekend’s match against Mallorca. Ibusuki has been pulling out trees at Sevilla II, scoring 7 goals in 12 matches, making him the second leading scorer in Segunda Division B group 4. Well done!!!
Some links: Here are two articles by the always excellent Yoree Koh on Japanese supporters traveling to North Korea for the upcoming World Cup qualifier. Here and here.
Takashi Usami scored his first goal for Bayern in a 6-0 cup win over FC Ingolstadt 04 from Bundesliga 2. He came on for Toni Kroos in the 73rd minute and played on the right. He scored in the 90th minute, playing a neat one-two with Ivica Olic to get through on goal, and then sweeping a curling finish past the keeper. He also had a hand in the fifth goal, putting Rafinha in on goal, before the Brazilian saw his cross deflected into goal. A very good day for him. Highlights here.
Ryo Miyaichi featured in Arsenal’s 2-1 Carling Cup win over Bolton on Tuesday. He came on for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the 73rd minute and, though he spent most of his time defending Arsenal’s one goal lead, he received praise from Wenger after the match for his commitment to the team effort. Well done Ryo.
Shinji Kagawa scored in the 7th minute as Dortmund hammered Cologne 5-0. Incredibly the win moves the reigning champions into 2nd place, which is astonishing considering their poor start to the season. It was Kagawa’s 2nd goal of the season. Dortmund were excellent, and back to the form that saw them win the Bundesliga at a canter last year. Tomoaki Makino did not make it off the bench for Cologne.
Yuto Nagatomo played the entire ninety minutes as Inter beat Chievo 1-0. Thiago Motta’s lone goal was enough to earn Inter just their second league win of the season, and lifting them to 16th place. Yes, 16th.
Maya Yoshida scored again as VVV Venlo hammered RKC Waalwijk 4-1 on Saturday. However, they are still in the relegation zone.
Shinji Okazaki played 76 minutes in Stuttgart’s 2-2 draw with Nurnberg on Saturday. They are currently in 5th place in the Bundesliga.
Makoto Hasebe played all 90 minutes of Wolfsburg’s 1-1 draw with Hamburg. They remain in 11th place.
Hajime Hosogai played all 90 minutes of Augsburg’s 1-1 draw with Bremen. Augsburg remain in the relegation zone.
Takayuki Morimoto played 60 minutes before being subbed off in Novara’s 3-0 loss to table-toppers Udinese. He was booked in the 15th minute.
Masahiko Inoha scored in the 60th minute in Hajduk Split’s 3-0 win over Lucko on Friday. No, I did not watch this match, but good for him that he scored.
Takashi Usami played all 90 minutes of Bayern II’s 2-1 win over Hessen Kassel. I don’t know if he played well, but the win moves the reserves up to 14th in the Regionalliga Sud standings.
Japan were outstanding. Let’s get that out of the way. Tajikistan weren’t great and they did not press the ball like they should have, but Japan were still very good. 8-0 is the result of excellent play no matter the opposition.
Mike Havenaar opened the scoring in the 12th minute with his first international goal. The goal was good, but the celebration was even better. The look of utter jubilation that he had after scoring for his country for the first time was heartwarming and reminded me of why I watch football in the first place.
Seven minutes later Shinji Okazaki scored. Intense pressure by Okazaki led to Tajikistan conceding possession, and then slick passing in the box by Kengo Nakamura and Shinji Kagawa, with a nice dummy from Havenaar left Okazaki with a opportunity to finish. This was the goal of the match.
Then sixteen minutes later Yuichi Komano scored. Again tidy passing in the box between Komano and Havenaar’s chest gave Nakamura an opportunity that was saved, only for the ball to be laced into the back of the net by Komano from outside the box. It was also his first goal for Japan. Everybody was getting on the scoresheet. Except for talisman Shinji Kagawa…
…who scored six minutes later. After some short passes with Nagatomo, Kagawa made a clever run and was picked out by Nakamura (again) and he scored with a first-time dink with the outside of his right foot. Another excellent goal. That was it for the first half.
If Tajikistan had planned damage limitation in the second half, they had to scrap that plan two minutes in when Havenaar got his second. His placed header off a Komano cross left the Tajik keeper with no chance. Then Kengo Nakamura scored in the 56th minute. It was a deserved goal for the midfielder who had created close to ten chances till then. Then Kagawa scored in the 68th. It looked like a cross that flew directly in, but in the post-match interview he said that it was a shot. Then Okazaki scored in the 73rd. A regular header at the back post. Then that was that.
This match could’ve been a trap. After a draw away in the most difficult tie of this round of qualifying, heavily-favored Japan returns home fully expecting three points from Tajikistan, who are only still around because another team was disqualified. Japan struggles to score in the first half against a dogged Tajik defense, before conceding a counterattack goal midway through the second half. Tajikistan holds off for the shock 1-0 win. Thankfully, this did not happen. Zaccheroni definitely had his team ready after a light friendly with Vietnam last week.
Tajikistan is not a bad team. They only lost to North Korea and Uzbekistan 1-0 each in their first group matches. Granted they were only still in qualification because Syria was thrown out, they are no San Marino. Japan was just very good.
Japan had 45 shots while Tajikistan had zero. It seemed as if Japan always had the ball, and when Tajikistan did have it, they couldn’t string two passes together. Kawashima didn’t touch the ball until towards the end of the first half. It was one of those games where you wanted to see everyone get on the score sheet. And you wanted the stars to get hattricks. Instead we had to settle for three braces.
Some points: The match was in Osaka, Kagawa’s hometown. It was great to see the fans cheer on their native son who rewarded their support with a fine display. It was also good to see Kagawa with some clinical finishes, something he has not been doing so far this season in Germany.
The Tajik players did not have names on the back of their shirts–they had ‘Tajikistan’. Whether this was to promote unity or just because they didn’t have individual shirts ready is not clear. But it was funny to see.
This was Japan’s last home game of the year. The next match is away at Tajikistan on November 11 followed by another away match at North Korea four days later. Four points from the two matches would see Japan progress to the fourth round.
This past week of fixtures was a bit more successful for Japanese players in Europe.
Shinji Kagawa got his first goal for Dortmund this season, with a tidy finish. However Dortmund ended up losing 2-1 at home to Hannover to continue their appalling start to the season. They are now already 8 points behind leaders Bayern.
Atsuto Uchida played the full 90 minutes of Schalke’s 2-0 loss at home to rivals Bayern. Compatriot Takashi Usami was on the opposing bench but did not feature.
Makoto Hasebe started in midfield in Wolfsburg’s 3-1 loss at Hoffenheim, and incredibly finished the game as the keeper. He played the final nine minutes in goal, as first-choice keeper Marvin Hitz was sent off. Hasebe could not save the ensuing penalty.
Takayuki Morimoto scored his first goal for Novara in a 2-1 loss at Cagliari. His deflected shot looped over the keeper to get Novara a consolation goal. During the midweek, Morimoto was influential in the sacking of Gianpiero Gasperini as Novara stunned Inter 3-1. Morimoto played well, linking the midfield with strike-partner Riccardo Meggiorini. He also earned a penalty that gave Novara a late 2-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Yuto Nagatomo played the full 90 minutes of both Inter’s 0-0 weekend draw with Roma and the disappointing loss at Novara. He played well against Novara and created many chances, however the team looked disjointed in its new 3-4-3 formation.
Finally, Ryo Miyaichi made his highly anticipated first team debut for Arsenal in their 3-1 Carling Cup win over Shrewsbury. He came on in the 71st minute for fellow debutant and South Korean captain Chu-Young Park. Let’s hope this is the beginning of an incredible career at Arsenal for Ryo.
This week’s Japanese hero is Maya Yoshida, who scored a stunning goal for VVV Venlo in their 3-3 draw with PSV. With his late winner against North Korea a couple of weeks ago, Yoshida is currently Japan’s hottest goalscorer. His Japanese teammate Robert Cullen played the full 90 minutes in the match as well.
Besides Yoshida, the Japanese contingency in Europe had another underwhelming week of fixtures. Shinji Kagawa played the entire 90 minutes of Dortmund’s 2-1 loss at Hertha Berlin, as the reigning German champions continued their poor start to the domestic season. In midweek, things were not as bad, as Dortmund earned a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal. Kagawa played the first 85 minutes before being replaced by Mohamed Zidan. Ivan Perisic got Dortmund a valuable home point with an outrageous volley in the 88th minute.
Yuto Nagatomo made his first appearance of the season, playing 62 minutes of Inter’s 4-3 loss at Palermo before being subbed off. He also played the full 90 minutes of Inter’s 1-0 Champions League loss to Trabzonspor on Wednesday. Yes, a truly rotten week for Inter.
A potential clash of Japanese players was avoided when Atsuto Uchida was an unused substitute during Schalke’s 2-1 loss at Wolfsburg, for whom national team captain Makoto Hasebe played the entire 90 minutes. Uchida did play in Schalke’s 0-0 Europa League tie at Steaua Bucuresti on Thursday.
Shinji Okazaki scored the first goal of Stuttgart’s 3-0 win over Hannover.
Youngsters Takashi Usami and Yoshiaki Takagi were both unused subsitutes for Bayern and Utrecht’s respective wins over the weekend. Usami was also on the bench for Bayern’s 2-0 CL win at Valencia on Wednesday. Keisuke Honda continues to be hurt. However, in a nice bit of news, Ryo Miyaichi has recovered from his injury and played in a reserve match, apparently providing a pretty backheel assist.
Not a great performance, but a decent result. This was probably Japan’s most difficult fixture of the round, and they were able to get out of Tashkent with a point.
Uzbekistan were the better side in the first half, rushing forward at every opportunity. Their attacking intent got them a goal in the eighth minute with a tidy finish from captain Server Djeparov. They had hit the post earlier, so the goal didn’t exactly come against the run of play.
As Football Japan points out, the poor quality of the pitch didn’t help Japan’s usually crisp short passing. Nonetheless, Japan’s first half performance wasn’t great, and though they enjoyed more possession, Uzbekistan looked the more threatening. Again, Kagawa was tightly marked and the midfield clearly missed the creativity of Honda and the width of Nagatomo. Tadanari Lee had little to work with but was unlucky not to score when he slammed a shot off the post.
The second half performance was massively improved and Japan got a deserved equalizer in the 65th minute. Okazaki scored with a diving header off a good cross from Uchida. Uzbekistan continued to look dangerous on counterattacks but Japan pinned back their opponents for most of the half. In the end, both teams got a deserved point.
Some points: Uzbekistan is a fit side. They pressed Japan from the start and were able to quickly turn defense into attack. They left massive spaces in the middle of the park with some poor marking but were able to make up for it with their speed. I thought that this wouldn’t last and that Japan would be able to pick them apart in the second half as they tired. I was wrong. Japan did outplay Uzbekistan in the second half but it was because they played better, not because their opponents tired. Uzbekistan looked dangerous on the counterattack throughout the entire match.
Tadanari Lee was visibly frustrated when he was taken off for Mike Havenaar right after the equalizer. He hit the post twice in the match and played pretty well and so he was naturally frustrated he didn’t get the goal he wanted. He still bowed to the fans after he was taken off and shook hands with Zaccheroni. He was just upset with his own performance. This is good to see and is indicative of Lee’s great desire and commitment.
Though Japan didn’t play well and struggled in an uncomfortable environment, they still could’ve won the match. Perseverance and the ability to not get frustrated as a team even when not playing well are important qualities for good teams.
Man of the Match: Kawashima was excellent for Japan. He made several great saves, including a breakaway late in the match. For Uzbekistan, talisman Djeparov got the goal but young midfielder Odil Ahmedov was the standout performer. He was excellent breaking up Japan’s midfield play and then sprinting into attack. He was praised for his displays in the Asian Cup earlier this year and Japan witnessed his quality firsthand.
Next up is a home match against Tajikistan, who currently sit last after losing their first two matches.
Well, that was close. Japan scraped enough together at the end to beat North Korea at home and begin its World Cup qualification with three points. VVV Venlo defender Maya Yoshida won it in stoppage time with a powerful header. It was far from the outstanding performance in the August win over South Korea, but in the end Japan got a valuable win to begin its journey to get to Brazil.
The match was basically one of those Carling Cup affairs where Liverpool or Chelsea play Havant & Waterlooville (no disrespect) and spend the entire 90 minutes passing the ball around but in the end lack the cutting edge to put the ball in the net and prevent an arduous replay. Japan kept the ball well on the wings and passed it around their opponents with ease, but lacked the creativity to get behind the back four. Most of the attacks ended with Atsuto Uchida putting in an underwhelming ball.
Zaccheroni again showed his managing skills with two astute second half changes in an effort to prevent the match from ending in a predictable and disappointing draw. He took off Yosuke Kashiwagi who had a largely pedestrian evening filling in for the injured Keisuke Honda, and threw on the Cerezo Osaka youngster Hiroshi Kiyotake. Then in the 70th, Zacc gave a highly-anticipated debut for Mike Havenaar. The presence of the two subs galvanized the team to pursue a crucial goal, and for the final twenty minute Japan laid siege on the North Korean box, banging a couple shots off the crossbar and forcing keeper Myong-Guk Ri to make several superb saves. They got the goal three minutes into stoppage time, as Yoshida put in Kiyotake’s ball.
Improve: Kagawa, Okazaki, and Kashiwagi lacked ideas in the final third and couldn’t get behind the North Korean defense. Obviously the absence of Honda and Nagatomo took away some quality attacking members, but the overwhelming reliance on balls from the wings should be addressed.
Good: Havenaar brings an Andy Carroll type to the team– excellent in the air but with good technical abilities. He can be a good plan b if Japan needs to get the ball up top quickly, and his skill ensures he won’t disrupt the team’s short passing. It was also good to see some young J. League players in the squad.
Man of the Match: Makoto Hasebe put in an excellent shift as captain. He showed good attacking prowess in addition to his usual defensive contributions.
Next up, an away match at Uzbekistan, the growing continental force. Hopefully Japan will show its cutting edge.
Keisuke Honda started CSKA Moscow’s 2-2 draw with city rivals Spartak Moscow on Sunday but was forced off at halftime due to a knee injury. He was replaced by Pavel Mamaev. Despite Zenit St. Petersburg’s 5-0 win over Kuban Krasnodar which put the two sides level on points and Zenit with the superior goal difference, CSKA remain top of the Russian table due to a better head-to-head record.
UPDATE: Honda will miss two-three months due to this knee injury.
Atsuto Uchida played the entire 90 minutes of Schalke’s 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday. The victory put Schalke joint top of the Bundesliga with rivals Bayern Munich.
Shinji Kagawa played 81 minutes of Dortmund’s 0-0 draw with Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. He was replaced by Jakub Blaszczykowski. The result leaves the reigning Bundesliga champions in sixth place with seven points. Kagawa expressed his disappointment after the match, saying “I missed a good chance to score, it is really regrettable.”
Makoto Hasebe played 50 minutes of Wolfsburg’s 3-0 loss at SC Freiburg on Saturday. Shinji Okazaki played the entire 90 minutes of Vfb Stuttgart’s 1-0 loss at Hertha Berlin.
Yoshiaki Takagi was left on the bench for FC Utrecht’s 3-1 win over Roda JC. The match featured the Eredivise debut of Rodney Sneijder on loan from Ajax. He scored, while brother Wesley cheered from the stands.
Ryo Miyaichi picked up a minor injury during the week and was unavailable for Arsenal’s 8-2 mauling at the hands of Manchester United. The match was utterly cartoonish, with both teams spurning chances upon chances. 10-5 would have better reflected the quality of defending on display. It’s a shame Ryo wasn’t fit, because he would likely have gotten time, and maybe even a goal. On the other hand, he didn’t have to suffer what was undoubtedly a traumatic experience for Arsenal players.
Overall, it was an underwhelming weekend for Japanese players in Europe. Hopefully, they will feature more prominently after the international break.
Note: This is an updated version of the original post from 28 August, 2011
Mike Havenaar is a Japanese footballer. Despite the name, the towering physical presence, and the European appearance, Mike Havenaar is 100% Japanese. Soon he could be one of the biggest stars on the Japanese national team.
Havenaar was born to Dutch parents in Hiroshima in 1987, where his father was playing football professionally. He began his career in the youth system for Consadole Sapporo, his father’s team, before moving to Yokohama F. Marinos as a teenager. After some loan spells, Mike (that’s what J. League fans call him) moved to J2 side Ventforet Kofu in 2010 and was an instant success. He scored 20 goals in his first season, earning the team promotion to J1. This past season, he proved that the jump to J1 was not a step too far, scoring 17 league goals and being named to the J League Best Eleven. He couldn’t save Kofu from immediate relegation, but was good enough to be noticed by several European teams, including Stuttgart and Wolfsburg. Ultimately, he moved to Vitesse Arnhem over this winter period, and has already scored a goal in three Eredivisie appearances.
This past year, he was also called up for the Japanese national team. So far, he has 5 caps, and has scored twice, both in an 8-0 trashing Japan dished out to Tajikistan in World Cup qualifying. Mike’s inclusion into the national team is significant. He is not the first player of foreign descent to play for Japan. The two most well known examples are Alessandro Santos and Marcus Tulio Tanaka, both of whom enjoyed exceptional success for the national team. However, both Santos and Tanaka are of Brazilian origin, and a long history of immigration between Japan and Brazil has led to a greater level of acceptance for Japanese-Brazilians than experienced by most other foreign groups. Mike, on the other hand, is European, and does not get this break. In most parts of Japan, it is not everyday that you see a white European who speaks perfect Japanese and considers himself completely Japanese, like Mike does. For this reason, Mike’s emergence onto the national team is a big deal, and could hold implications for Japanese culture and society that extend beyond the confines of football.
Despite being one of the largest economies in the world, into which thousands of people traveling to and from everyday, Japan remains a difficult country for foreigners to be accepted in. Outside of Tokyo, it is not uncommon for locals to stare at any foreign-looking person in surprise. Foreign businessmen and women are often denied entrance to restaurants because of their appearance. I am half-Japanese, and when I went to elementary school in Osaka, I was made fun of and bullied just because of my foreign appearance, despite my fully Japanese name and the fact that I spoke fluent Japanese. This behavior does not reflect any feelings of race-based enmity, but rather a lack of exposure to foreign presence. Japanese people do not dislike foreigners—they are simply not used to them in their society. For this reason, many see a foreign presence as a threat—and act to protect their culture.
There is no better indicator of this feeling than the foreign labor policy of the government of Japan. Currently, Japan is experiencing the crisis of a declining population. If the current rate of decline continues, the population of the country will be cut in half to 60 million by 2050. Despite this, the Japanese government has absolutely no interest in loosening immigration regulations to allow a greater foreign influx. On top of that, Japan is experiencing a labor shortage, as an aging population retires and fewer youths are inclined to work. The government has so far responded with measures to increase the participation of women in the work force and with temporary contracts with Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino workers. These workers all have to go home in two years.
Despite the country’s rapid postwar growth and subsequent increased role in the global economy, Japan has never had a large foreign presence. This lack of exposure has left parts of the population still uncomfortable with the idea of foreigners in Japan. Mike has experienced this sentiment first hand in the J League, when he was the target of anti-European chants from some supporters. If Mike is successful for the national team, it could help dissipate some of this feeling and lead to the further acceptance of foreigners in society. Japan is a country that idolizes its sport stars; following the devastating ‘triple disaster of the Tohoku earthquake-tsunami-nuclear accident in March of last year, the entire country supported Nadeshiko Japan as they won the Women’s World Cup. The success of the women’s national team helped ease some of the pain felt from the greatest national tragedy since the war. Should Mike become a national team legend and a household name, he could help the country overcome a cultural attitude that has lingered long enough. In his first interview for Vitesse, Mike proclaims in Dutch, that although his parents are from the Netherlands he feels completely Japanese. Perhaps through success with the national team he can show that at 6-4 and white, with the name ‘Mike Havenaar’, he is 100% Japanese.
Here’s an interview of Mike speaking perfect Japanese. And here's a video of him in action.
