Japanese Players In Europe

Takashi Inui celebrates with Sebastian Rode after scoring against Nurnberg.

This past week was another great one for Japanese footballers in Europe.

Takashi Inui got things started on Friday, when he scored in Eintracht’s 2-1 win away at Nurnberg. His goal in the 60^th minute, cutting in from the left and lashing a low shot past Raphael Schafer, was the eventual match winner. Then in the midweek match at home to Borussia Dortmund, he starred as Frankfurt continued their great start and got a 0-0 to the two-time defending champions. Eintracht entered the half trailing 2-0 but Inui helped start the comeback, assisting Stefan Aigner’s goal in the 49^th minute. He then scored the equalizer in the 51^st with a header. It was his third goal in as many Bundesliga matches. Dortmund retook the lead through Mario Gotze in the 54^th minute, but Anderson Bamba equalized in 73^rd to earn a point for Eintracht.

Frankfurt’s great start and Inui’s performances have been getting a lot of attention recently. Before drawing with Dortmund, Frankfurt’s four consecutive league wins were a record for a newly-promoted team. As for Inui, in his recent column for The Guardian Rafa Honigstein gave him the tongue-in-cheek nickname “the new, new Kagawa.”He’s certainly been great to watch and his own and Frankfurt’s success have been an exciting story so far in the Bundesliga.

In that 2-1 loss to Frankfurt, Hiroshi Kiyotake put in another excellent performance for Nurnberg. He collected yet another set-piece assist, this time for Sebastian Polter, and it was his third straight match in which he had assisted or scored (he assisted in all of them). In the midweek game, Nurnberg lost 4-1 away to Hannover. Kiyotake maintained his first team place.

Takashi Usami retained his starting spot as Hoffenheim beat Hannover 3-1 over the weekend, their first points of the season. Then in the midweek, Hoffenheim continued their fine play and beat Stuttgart 3-0 away. Usami opened the scoring in the 5^th minute with an excellent dribble to get away from a defender before applying a composed finish when one-on-one with the keeper.

Stuttgart came back from 2-0 down to draw with Werder Bremen 2-2 away. Both Shinji Okazaki and Gotoku Sakaistarted. However, in the midweek against Hoffenheim they were unable to pick up where they left off and were humbled by Usami and co. Okazaki and Sakai both started that match as well.

Hiroki Sakai came on in the 74^th minute for Manuel Schmiedebach in Hannover’s 3-1 loss to Hoffenheim over the weekend. He did not feature in their 4-1 mauling of Nurnberg.

Hajime Hosogai played the entire match at rightback in last week’s 0-0 home draw to Metalist Kharkiv in the Europa League. He did not feature in the weekend league match against Borussia Monchengladbach, a 1-1 draw at home. In the midweek 3-1 away win at his old club Augsburg, he came on in the 38^th minute for Stefan Reinartz who was forced off with an injury.

Shinji Kagawa returned to the starting lineup for Manchester United in an emotionally charged match away to Liverpool. While United did win 2-1, they were vastly outplayed by Liverpool, even when the hosts were reduced to 10 men before halftime. Kagawa and the United midfield were reduced to spectators as Joe Allen, Steven Gerrard, and Jonjo Shelvey passed around them with ease. Kagawa did record an assist, as his chested pass to Rafael was followed by an exquisite curled shot that went in off the post. But it was another difficult game for himself as he comes to grips with the muscular side of life in the Premier League. He was substituted for Chicharito in the 81^st minute.

Ryo Miyaichi came on as a substitute for Gary Caldwell in 77^th minute as Wigan sought to get back in the game against Fulham this past weekend. They did manage to pull one back in stoppage time, but still fell 2-1 at home. During the week Miyaichi played the entire match as Wigan beat West Ham 4-1 away to advance in the “Capital One” cup.

Maya Yoshida was in the starting lineup as Southampton earned their first points of the season, a 4-1 win at home to Aston Villa. After going behind 1-0, Southampton came roaring back to score four times in the second half. During the week, they beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at home. Yoshida played the entire game.

Over the weekend, CSKA Moscow beat Volga 3-2 away. Keisuke Honda set up the Ahmed Musa’s winner in the 87^th minute. It was a case of returning the favor, as Musa had set up both of Honda’s goals the week before against Alaniya. He was then substituted off two minutes later.

Last week, Yuto Nagatomo scored in the second minute of stoppage time to earn Inter a 2-2 home draw with Rubin Kazan in the Champions League. It was fine strike from Nagatomo as he saved Inter from a terrible result to start their European campaign. He played at leftback in the game. During the weekend, the San Siro curse struck again as Inter lost 2-0 at home to Siena. Nagatomo played the entire match at rightback. Inter have lost or drawn every match at home so far this season. During the week, they beat Chievo 2-0 away and Nagatomo played in right midfield. His deflected shot was put in by Alvaro Pereira for Inter’s first.

Mike Havenaar came on for the second half this past weekend in Vitesse’s 1-1 home draw to Heracles. He andMichihiro Yasuda played the entire 90 minutes of Vitesse’s 3-0 cup win away at Gemert during the week.

Hiroshi Ibusuki scored in a second consecutive game for AS Eupen. They lost 2-1 to Brussels. I did not watch this game.

Links

Here are some Japanese football links:

• Highlights of Japan's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Iraq. Japan has 10 points and is in first place in their qualification group.
• Hiroshi Kiyotake's magnificent two assist and goal performance against Borussia Monchengladbach.
• An article I wrote for Bundesliga Fanatic about the Japanese players who joined Bundesliga teams this summer.

Japanese Players In Europe

Hiroshi Kiyotake celebrates scoring the winner against Borussia Monchengladbach

Japanese players had a great weekend in Europe, especially in Germany where three players scored their first Bundesliga goals.

FC Nurnberg’s 3-2 away win at Borussia Monchengladbach might end up being remembered by viewers as the game in which Hiroshi Kiyotake showed Germany exactly how good he is. Kiyotake put in a masterful performance against last year’s fourth place team, setting up two and scoring the winner (his first Bundesliga goal). In the 17^thminute, he delivered an excellent freekick from the left that was headed in by Timm Klose. Then in the 25^th minute, it was a corner kick that was headed in by Timmy Simons for a 2-0 lead. Monchengladbach fought back to equalize, led on by the impressive Patrick Herrmann. But Kiyotake ensured that Nurnberg got all three points and continued their excellent start to the season, scoring the winner in the 55^th after a determined run and an outstanding right-foot finish from outside the box. The goal came just two minutes after Granit Xhaka had equalized for Monchengladbach.

In addition to the assists and goal, Kiyotake was outstanding throughout, playing small passes and leading the counterattack as Monchengladbach controlled possession. He was constantly on the move, always providing an option for teammates to pass to. The Monchengladbach defenders found him hard to defend, as he kept the ball with his control and agility. Nurnberg fans are surely excited about their new number 13 and what the team can achieve this season. They are in 6^th place and undefeated through three rounds.

Eintracht Frankfurt are off to an even better start, perfect through their first three matches. They beat Hamburg 3-2 at home this weekend, and Takashi Inui opened the scoring in the 13^th minute with his first Bundesliga goal. After getting the ball from a defensive mix-up, Inui glided through two defenders with a quick feint and curled in past Rene Adler. The goal looked like one that Luka Modric would score, a player that Inui is similar in style to. Like Kiyotake, Inui played well throughout. He was substituted in the 79^th minute. Frankfurt are in second place on goal difference, behind Bayern. On the other hand, Hamburg look like they are in real trouble this season and could end up being relegated, something they narrowly avoided last season.

One place below Hamburg, in last on goal difference, is Hoffenheim. This weekend they lost 5-3 away at SC Freiburg in an entertaining match. Takashi Usami was given a starting place and scored a fantastic goal, his first in the Bundesliga. After taking the lead in the 2^nd minute, they were behind 2-1 by the 27^th. They equalized in the 57^thbut were pegged back again in the 68^th. Usami equalized in the 76^th minute with an unstoppable shot, but Freiburg scored twice in the final ten minutes to send Hoffenheim to their fourth straight loss in all competitions. Max Kruse was the standout player for Freiburg. In his first start of the season, Usami played well in addition to scoring his outstanding goal in what was a difficult match. It was an encouraging performance from Hoffenhim, though that won’t ease the pressure on manager Markus Babbel. They will try to get their first points at home against Hannover this weekend.

Keisuke Honda scored both goals in a 2-0 home win over FC Alaniya. For the first, he passed to Ahmed Musa who drew four defenders before passing back to Honda on the edge of the box. Wide open, Honda rifled into goal. For the second, Musa again found Honda, this time with a left side cross which Honda put in first time.

Mike Havenaar scored and set up another, leading Vitesse to a 3-0 win over Groningen. The goal was his first of the season. After struggling in the first half, Vitesse threw on Mike to energize the attack. The move paid huge dividends, with Mike opening the scoring in the 62^nd before setting up Tomas Kalas for the second. He headed in a Patrick van Aanholt cross for his goal and led a two on one break before passing to Kalas to set up the second. His presence gave the Vitesse forward line a focal point through which to attack. It was Vitesse’s fifth straight win in all competitions and they remain unbeaten in the Eredivisie. They are in second on 13^th points, behind Twente who remain perfect.

Stuttgart played out a goalless at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf. Shinji Okazaki came off the bench for Tamas Hajnal in the 86^th. Gotoku Sakai was not included in the squad.

Shinji Kagawa was an unused substitute in Manchester United’s 4-0 win over Wigan. He was rested as he recovered from an injury that kept him out of Japan’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over Iraq last week. Ryo Miyaichi was also an unused substitute, for Wigan.

Maya Yoshida was given a rough introduction to the Premier League in Southampton’s 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates. Yoshida was not in the starting lineup but was brought on in the 28^th after Jos Hooiveld, who had already scored an own-goal, was forced off through injury. He couldn’t prevent the second, a curling freekick from Lukas Podolski, but he was taken to the cleaners by Gervinho for the third. Yoshida was completely fooled by Gervinho’s stop and start run, but wasn’t helped by Daniel Fox who didn’t seem to be at all interested in covering the space behind. Gervinho went through on goal and beat Kelvin Davis at this near post.

Yuto Nagatomo started and played the full 90 minutes of Inter’s 2-0 away win at Torino.

Hiroshi Ibusuki scored for AS Eupen in a 2-2 home draw with CS Vise, a Belgian 2^nd Division match that I did not watch.

In other news, Japan beat Iraq 1-0 in World Cup qualifying last week. Ryoichi Maeda scored the only goal in the 25^thminute after great work by Okazaki. Japan dominated the game but couldn’t increase their lead. However, Iraq hardly had the ball and were didn’t really threaten. It was a comfortable win for Japan that confirmed the team’s need for a few more finishers.

Japanese Players In Europe

Shinji Kagawa struggled against an excellent Southampton midfield.

Shinji Kagawa started in the No.10 position for Manchester United in their 3-2 win at Southampton. In the opening minutes, United kept possession and pinned Southampton inside their own box with quick passes. However, after weathering this initial storm, Southampton came into the game and outplayed United for the majority of the first half. Ricky Lambert headed them into the lead, rising easily over Rafael and leaving Anders Lindegaard with no chance. If not for an untimely slip from fullback Nathaniel Clyne, allowing Robin van Persie to equalize, Southampton could’ve gone into the break with the lead. Southampton continued to play well in the second half and looked to have collected all three points going into the last five minutes with a 2-1 lead. However, van Persie scored twice to snatch the win for United and steal a first league win for Southampton.

Kagawa struggled in this game and was substituted for Nani in the 61st minute. In the Fulham match, Kagawa was brushed aside and lost possession several times against the massive Moussa Dembele. The physical side of the Premier League is something that he will, like all newcomers, take time to adapt to. While it’s not every week that he will face a midfield power/dynamo combo like Dembele, every team throws around its weight in the middle of the park, as Southampton showed. Morgan Schneiderlin and young James Ward-Prowse were outstanding and powered through a relatively delicate United midfield. It is no wonder that all of United’s goals were set up on the wing. There will be games like this for Kagawa as he gets used to the burly side to Premier League football. Tadanari Lee was an unused substitute, while Maya Yoshida was unavailable.

Stuttgart is stuck on 0 points in the Bundesliga after they were obliterated 6-1 by Bayern, a match that both Shinji Okazaki and Gotoku Sakai started. Okazaki was caught in possession by Luis Gustavo Dias for Bayern’s second goal. Gustavo played the ball to Toni Kroos who lashed in an unstoppable shot past Sven Ulreich.

Sakai was also caught in possession, for Bayern’s fourth goal. To his credit, after he was dispossessed by Kroos, Sakai raced across the pitch to heroically block Thomas Muller’s shot. However, he could only watch in despair as the ball rolled to Mario Mandzukic who tapped in.

Okazaki was subbed off in the 69th while Sakai played the entire 90 minutes. Not a great day for either of them, but it was Bayern and it is still early in the season.

Hiroshi Kiyotake started and played the entire match as FC Nurnberg drew 1-1 at home to Dortmund. Kiyotake set up Tomas Peckhart for Nurnberg’s goal with a corner. Nurnberg weren’t without their chances and did not hesitate to attack against the reigning champions.

Schalke beat Augsburg 3-1 at home, and Atsuto Uchida started and played the entire match at rightback.

Eintracht Frankfurt dealt Hoffenheim a heavy 4-0 home defeat. Takashi Inui started for Eintracht and was credited an assist for the first goal. He set up Alex Meier and the shot found its way into net, though only after a massive deflection off of Marvin Compper. Takashi Usami came on to play the second half for Hoffenheim.

Vitesse beat Feyenoord 1-0 at home to continue their excellent start to the Eredivise season. Mike Havenaar came on in the 81st minute and set up Wilfried Bony’s stoppage time winner with a shot/cross that Bony elegantly flicked into goal. Vitesse are now in second place with 1o points going into the international break.

Wigan Athletic drew 2-2 at home to Stoke. Ryo Miyaichi came on for Franco Di Santo for the last 10 minutes.

Keisuke Honda played the entire match as CSKA beat Krasnodar 1-0 away.

Yuto Nagatomo started and played the entire match as Inter were overrun by the attacking waves of Zdenek Zeman’s Roma, 3-1 at home.

Yuki Otsu has joined VVV Venlo on-loan from Monchengladbach. He will link up with Robert Cullen who was an unused substitute in their 1-0 loss at Twente.

Japanese Players In Europe

Shinji Kagawa celebrates his first goal for Manchester United with his teammates.

As the European leagues got underway this weekend, more and more Japanese players took to pitches for teams across the continent. Several players made debuts for their new teams, and notably, we had the third Japanese player to score in the English Premier League.

A week after impressing on his competitive debut for Manchester United, Shinji Kagawa became the third Japanese player to score in the English Premier League. In the 35th minute, Kagawa gave United a 2-1 lead in an eventual 3-2 win over Fulham. Playing as the No 10 behind Robin van Persie, Kagawa was again electric, at the heart of a mesmerizing 20 minute display in the first half from United that had Fulham on the ropes. His short passes and quick movement inspired the rest of the United attacking six to play at a dazzling pace that Fulham could hardly defend. There was a Dortmund-esque verve to their play. After a poor showing against Everton, Wayne Rooney was dropped, allowing Kagawa to play in his favored central position. He came on for Kagawa in the 68th but then suffered a terrible thigh gash and had to be carried off. He will be out for at least a month, which means Kagawa will likely continue playing as the No 10.

The goal itself was a tap-in, and that it wasn’t called off for offsides surprised everyone, including Kagawa. He follows Junichi Inamoto and Hidetoshi Nakata as Japanese goalscorers in the Premier League. Hopefully several others will follow him this season.

Hiroshi Kiyotake made his debut for FC Nurnberg, playing the entire 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Hamburg.

Takashi Inui also made his debut for Eintracht Frankfurt, starting in a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen. He was involved in Frankfurt’s equalizer, as his shot was only parried by Bernd Leno into the path of Stefan Aigner who finished well. Hajime Hosogai was an unused substitute for Leverkusen.

Takashi Usami came off the bench to make his debut for Hoffenheim in a 2-1 loss to Borussia Monchengladbach. He will look to break into the staring XI as the season progresses. Yuki Otsu was not included for Gladbach–more on a potential move away later.

Yuto Nagatomo played the entire 90 minutes as Inter beat newly-promoted Pescara 3-0. He also played the entire 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Romanian side FC Vaslui, which was enough for Inter to advance on. Similarly in Russia, Keisuke Honda played the entire 90 minutes in CSKA Moscow’s 3-0 win over Kryliya Sovetov. However, CSKA suffered major disappointment during the week, getting knocked out of the Europa League by Swedish side AIK.

In Holland, Maya Yoshida played the entire 90 minutes in a 4-2 loss to Ado Den Haag. More on him later. Robert Cullen came on in the 67th minute. For Vitesse, Michihiro Yasuda played the entire 90 minutes in a 2-0 win over Willem II. Mike Havenaar came on in the 54th minute.

In Europa League action, VFB Suttgart knocked out Dinamo Moscow 3-1 on aggregate after a 1-1 draw in Moscow. Gotoku Sakai and Shinji Okazaki both played the entire 90 minutes. Hannover 96 completed a 10-4 aggregate thumping of Slask Wroclaw with a 5-1 home win. Hiroki Sakai came on off the bench and set up the final goal with a delightful cross to Szabolcs Huszti.

Last but not least, English League Cup action. Tadanari Lee scored and played the entire 90 minutes in Southampton’s 4-1 win over Stevenage. It was a great way for him to mark his return from injury. Ryo Miyaichi came on for the last 10 minutes of Wigan’s 4-1 win over Nottingham Forest, which feature a couple great goals. Miyaichi got an assist for Wigan’s fourth, though Callum McManaman still had to beat a couple of players to score. An interesting stat from WhoScored.com: Miyaichi created a chance on average once every 32 minutes last season, 11th best in the Premier League.

Some transfer news: Maya Yoshida has completed a move to Southampton. He leaves one Japanese teammate (Robert Cullen) to join another (Tadanari Lee). The transfer fee was £2 million. Yoshida says that to play in the Premier League has been “one of my biggest dreams since I was a child.” Congrats to him on the move; that makes four Japanese players in the Premier League–let’s hope for more goals scored. Meanwhile, Yuki Otsu has been linked with a loan move to Celtic. It would be a good more for him; he’d play regularly and in the Champions League. Hiroshi Ibusuki has joined Belgian second division side KAS Eupen on loan from Sevilla.

Olympic Review

The Japanese men's Olympic football team performed well at London 2012.

The Japanese men finished in fourth place at the Olympics. This was a great finish, but one feels they underachieved at the end. After finishing first in their group and beating a dangerous Egypt side 3-0 in the quarterfinals, they seemed to flame out in the semifinals and the bronze medal match.

Japan 3-0 Egypt. Kensuke Nagai got things started in the 14th minute, using his increasingly impressive pace to get on the end of a great ball from Hiroshi Kiyotake. As the Egyptian keeper collided with his defender, Nagai slotted into an empty net. However, Nagai ran into defender Ahmed Hegazy on the play and was unable to continue after his goal. He was replaced by Manabu Saito, who dropped into the midfield. Otsu played a slightly forward role for the rest of the match. Japan’s cause was further aided in the 41st minute when defender Saad Samir was shown a straight red card for a last ditch foul of Saito. Egypt were excellent on the ball and were able to keep possession throughout, but with a man less opportunities to get on the ball were fewer. Japan made it 2-0 in the 78th minute, when Maya Yoshida headed in a free kick from Kiyotake. It was 3-0 in the 83rd when Otsu headed in a cross from Takahiro Ohgihara. Japan definitely benefited from the man advantage (two men towards the end when Egypt lost a man to injury and were out of substitutions) but played extremely well against a talented and dangerous team. Kiyotake was superb and controlled the match. Maya Yoshida was excellent as usual.

Mexico 3-1 Japan. Mexico played well and deservedly went through, but it was nonetheless disappointing to see, especially since Japan beat this same team five days before the Olympics. Otsu got things started and had me on my feet with a wonderful 20-yard volley in the 12th minute. Japan were playing well and looked to be in control. However, Mexico got back into the game and looked increasingly threatening. Gio Dos Santos in particular missed a golden chance to level the match. The pressure told in the 31st minute when Dos Santos’ corner was flicked on by Jorge Enriquez and nodded in by Marco Fabian. It was the first goal that Japan had conceded all tournament, and Gonda had no chance.  Mexico continued to play well into the second half, and Japan struggled to produce anything in midfield. Oribe Peralta made it 2-1 in the 65th minute with a well-placed shot that again left Gonda helpless. Ohgihara was dallying on the ball outside of the box and Peralta dispossessed him before launching his shot. Japan tried to press and find an equalizer but found it difficult to play out of the midfield against a Mexico side that liked to keep the ball wide. Fabian in particular caused Japan lots of problems. As Japan searched for an equalizer, Mexico scored a third on the counter. Javier Cortes took advantage of some poor defending and scored on a shot that Gonda should have definitely saved. Japan’s midfield picked the wrong day to have its worst match of the tournament, with Kiyotake and Higashi well below par.

South Korea 2-0 Japan. Outplayed and outmuscled in the consolation match against their Asian rivals. Korea were fired up for the match and pressured Japan from the start. Japan were able to start passing the ball well but were unsettled by some tough challenges from Korea. Park Chu-Young gave Korea the lead in the 38th minute after dancing his way around some terrible defending. The shot was a weak one and Gonda probably should have kept it out. It was 2-0 in the 57th minute when the excellent Koo Ja-Cheol was put through by Ji Dong-Won and shot under Gonda. Japan searched for a way back into the match, and thought they had one when Maya Yoshida put a superb header into goal. However it was correctly ruled out for a block on keeper Jung Sung-Ryong. Again, the midfield was below par and was unable to consistently threaten the Korean defense.

Watching the tournament, one thing that became clear to me was the huge gap between youth sides and the senior side. On pretty much every team in the tournament, the overage players stood out. Thiago Silva, Maynor Figueroa, Craig Bellamy, Nordin Amrabat all performed noticeably better than some of their younger teammates. This was the same with Maya Yoshida, who was comfortably the best player for Japan in the tournament. It shows how important experience at the highest level is for international football.

In addition to Yoshida, Kiyotake was superb throughout the tournament. Up until the semifinal, he controlled matches with his darting movement and varied passing. He set the tempo with short passes, but showed he was equally adept at longer ones, serving up assists with two such passes against Egypt. Hiroki Sakai was superb at rightback. He was excellent in defense and provided width and speed on attack. When he played, Gotoku Sakai was equally as good. I thought he probably should’ve started on the left. Yuki Otsu has the potential to be a great player, and should play more for Monchengladbach this season. He played well throughout the tournament and provided good movement in support of Nagai, who was also excellent bar some poor finishing against Spain. Ohgihara looked comfortable on the ball and provided excellent set piece delivery. Gonda has the potential to be a future No. 1.

It was a great tournament and I am really looking forward to watching these guys play in the future.

Congratulations to the women’s team who finished with a silver medal, losing 2-1 in the final to the US. The women outplayed the physically strong US team and could have gotten a better result had it not been for great saves by Hope Solo and some questionable calls by the referees. The result further cements Nadeshiko Japan as overall one of the best women’s teams, and surely the best in terms of playing beautiful football.

Japan 0-0 Honduras

Kazuya Yamamura battles with Luis Garrido of Honduas.

A 0-0 draw with Honduras was enough for the Japanese men to secure first place in Group D and a quarterfinal matchup with Egypt on Saturday. The result suited both teams, with Honduras finishing in second place and also progressing.

In the history of goalless draws, this will not go down as one of the more riveting ones. While both teams seemed somewhat interested in scoring, neither were able to get behind the defenses and create chances. The only moment when it looked like the deadlock might be broken was in the first half when Jerry Bengston got on the end of ball from midfield and got a shot through on goal, but Shuichi Gonda was able to get down sharply and then gobble up the rebound.

Honduras started the first half better, but Japan got better later on and were able to string some passes together. The second half was similar, with Honduras starting better and Japan gradually growing into it. By the end, most of the football was being played by Japan in and around the Honduras box.

Takashi Usami was one of the newcomers in the match and didn’t have much of a chance to shine. With neither team really interested in playing through the midfield, Usami’s contributions were mostly through moments of individual flair, which he had a couple, and set pieces. He seemed to hit his free kicks and corner kicks deep, and one set piece had the Honduran keeper Jose Mendoza struggling back to tip the ball over the bar.

The standout performer was Gotoku Sakai who played on the left after playing on the right against Spain and Morocco. He let absolutely nothing through and was excellent bringing the ball forward. He used his impressive speed to cut out passes and add width to attack when needed.

D.C. United youngster Andy Najar was the most dangerous player for Honduras. He showed some great speed and close control, and when he was substituted off in the 60th minute, the Honduran attack became noticeably less dangerous.

Shuichi Gonda made a couple excellent saves and was commanding in his box. He plucked out crosses pretty comfortably and had the confident look of an established senior level keeper. The defense as a unit still has yet to concede a goal in the tournament.

The midfield looked a lot better once Hiroshi Kiyotake came on in the 67th. Passes started to connect in the middle, giving more space to the wide players. Kensuke Nagai also improved the attack when he came on in the 81st.

Overall, a good result that achieves the goal of first place.

Japan 1-0 Morocco

Kensuke Nagai scored the winner in the 84th minute.

The Japanese men defeated Morocco 1-0 to book a place in the quarterfinals. Kensuke Nagai scored the only goal in the 84th minute of an entertaining match. The victory leaves Japan needing only a draw against Honduras to secure top spot in the group and likely avoid Brazil in the quarterfinals.

Morocco started the match very well, keeping the ball and moving it across midfield comfortably. Japan didn’t seem to be pressing with the same urgency as they had against Spain, and as a result Morocco was able to keep possession without much trouble. Former PSV man Nordin Amrabat had a great chance to open the scoring in the 18th minute but his shot was blocked by Gotoku Sakai. Japan got better as the half wore on and Moroccan keeper Mohamed Amsif had to produce a wonderful goal-line save to prevent Sakai from heading home the opening goal. Maya Yoshida had a free header just before half-time but couldn’t put his effort on target.

Morocco started the second half strong and were able to keep possession in much the same way they did early in the first half. However, again Japan improved as the half wore on. In the 62nd, Amsif had to produce another glorious save to prevent Japan from scoring. Hiroshi Kiyotake unleashed a great shot that Amsif managed to tap onto the crossbar. The ball then bounced off Amsif’s back straight into the air for an easy take. In the 70th, Amsif prevented Japan from scoring once again, this time pushing Yuki Otsu’s shot just left of the post. Japan had another chance in the 78th when Kensuke Nagai played in Hotaru Yamaguchi with a beautiful flick, but Yamaguchi blazed his first time shot over the bar.

The breakthrough finally came in the 84th when Kiyotake played a perfect ball over the defense that Nagai lobbed over the charging Amsif with his first touch. Amsif had rushed out thinking he would reach the ball first, but the speedy Nagai beat him to it and lobbed with the outside of his right. It was the type of magnificent finishing that Japan had lacked against Spain.

Morocco had their best chance of the match in stoppage time as the dangerous Zakaria Labyad was played through on goal. His effort was stopped by Gonda, and a rebound shot from Omar El Kaddouri was blocked by captain Yoshida.

Morocco were excellent and had no trouble keeping possession. All their players were comfortable on the ball and able to pass it with ease. Morocco’s passing was helped by Japan’s lack of pressing at times, but even when they were pressed they combined well, especially down the left where Labyad was lively throughout.

Unlike Spain, Morocco also had a great forward presence in the excellent Nordin Amrabat. He held the ball up expertly and linked well with the wide players. However, like Spain, Morocco did struggle to get behind the Japanese defense and create clear chances.Their two biggest opportunities came from a set piece and a long ball over the top. Labyad also had a couple shots from long range.

Japan was unable to keep the ball in midfield as well as they did against Spain. Otsu, Kiyotake, and Keigo Higashi did have great moments of combination, but most of the midfield threat came when they ran at the Moroccan defense. Otsu and Kiyotake were particularly good in this regard. No time yet for Takashi Usami who might have helped with the passing in the second half.

Nagai wasn’t pressing the defense as much as he did against Spain, but he still held up play very well and was able to reach passes with his speed. His finish was a thing of beauty.

Once again the defense was very good, with Yoshida excellent in the center. Gotoku Sakai was great on the right, but didn’t provide as much attacking verve as Hiroshi Sakai did against Spain. Gonda was excellent in goal as well. After two games, Japan and Mexico are the only teams that have not conceded a goal.

Another great win for Japan and one more point to clinch first place in the group.

Spain 0-1 Japan

Yuki Otsu scored the winner against Spain.

Unless you’ve been ignoring the Olympics completely, you’ve heard about Japan’s magnificent win over gold medal favorites Spain. Yuki Otsu scored the game’s only goal in the 34th minute off a corner. A few minutes later, Inigo Martinez was sent off for fouling Kensuke Nagai on a breakaway, but Spain was still able to keep much of possession despite being a man down. Japan had a number of chances to extend their lead in the second half and put the game to bed, but their poor finishing didn’t come back to haunt them as Spain never really threatened.

Despite poor finishing in the second half, this was a great win for Japan. Going into the match, Spain was a favorite for the gold. They had World Cup and Euro winners Juan Mata and Javi Martinez. They had Jordi Alba, one of this Euro’s best players. They had the electric Bilbao midfielders Ander Herrera and Iker Muniain. They had one of the world’s best shot-stoppers in David De Gea. On paper, this team could challenge for senior international titles. And Japan beat them, pretty comfortably. Besides an early long range shot from Juan Mata, I don’t remember Shuichi Gonda really being troubled. Only twice (Adrian and Alba) did Spain get behind the Japanese defensive line. On the other hand, I can remember Japan having four great opportunities to extend their lead. This wasn’t a smash-and-grab against one of the most talented and accomplished teams in the tournament. It was a deserved victory that could’ve been more.

The sending off benefited Japan, but it wasn’t decisive. In the second half, they were able to keep the ball longer and expose Spain’s lack of defensive cover. Spain also had one less player to press with and allowed Japan to keep the ball for longer, but they were able to keep the ball as well as they had been with eleven men. Aside from some of the chances that Japan created and missed anyway, the man advantage wasn’t that influential in the game.

Spain’s biggest problem was lack of an attacking outlet. They needed someone to remain central to finish off crosses and passes, but all of their attacking players were more interested in staying wide. The senior side suffered from a similar problem at the Euros, but they were able to get behind defenses much more frequently than the Olympic side today. Considering that largely the same team had no problems scoring at last year’s European Under-21 Championships, Spain’s lack of attacking options was surprising.

While Spain were able to keep much of the possession, Japan won the midfield battle. Otsu, Hiroshi Kiyotake, and Keigo Higashi were able to keep the ball and combine brilliantly with lone striker Nagai. Otsu in particular caused havoc on the right side of the Spanish defense throughout the first half.

Captain Maya Yoshida was immense in the center of defense, breaking up attacks before Spain could camp players outside the box. Yoshida also elegantly carried the ball into midfield on a number of occasions. Hiroki Sakai was also terrific on the right, keeping Jordi Alba quiet and providing speed on the counter. After he was forced off because of injury, Gotoku Sakai was equally impressive as his replacement.

Despite missing some chances, Kensuke Nagai was excellent as the lone striker. He held up play, opened up space with his speed, and, most importantly, pressed the Spanish defenders and caused several giveaways.

On the Spanish side, De Gea was excellent. He saved Nagai’s shot on a breakaway, and displayed his world class shot-stopping skills early in the second half against Higashi.

This was a hugely important win, not only because it was against Spain, but also because the group runners-up face Brazil, a matchup you want to save for later.

A great win and a great start to the London Olympics.

Olympics So Far: Japan Qualifies For The Quarterfinals

Kensuke Nagai scored the winner against Morocco.

Here’s a quick update on the Japanese Men’s Football team at the London Olympics. After 1-0 victories over Spain and Morocco, Japan has qualified for the knockout stages. I will post full reports on both matches later today.

The victory over Spain was stunning, and Japan probably should’ve won by more. Spain controlled possession but were unable to create any clear chances. Yuki Otsu’s first-half goal was enough for the three points.

Morocco was a tough opponent and were comfortable in possession. They started both halves strongly and had a good chance through the excellent Nordin Amrabat. But as time passed, Japan became better and started to dictate play. Kensuke Nagai grabbed a late winner to send Japan into the knockout rounds. Surprisingly, Spain lost again 1-0 to Honduras and were eliminated.

Japan will need at least a point against Honduras to clinch first place. They will be especially eager to do so as second place secures a likely quarterfinal match with Brazil.

On the women’s side, Japan are second in their group after a win over Canada and a goalless draw with Sweden. After an opening 2-1 win over Canada, Japan were unable to score against a Sweden side they defeated in the semifinal of last year’s Women’s World Cup. Japan will play South Africa tomorrow in their final group match.

Olympic Football Roster Announced

Kenyu Sugimoto was a surprise inclusion.

The Japan Olympic football squad was announced today, and there were some surprise inclusions/exclusions. Here’s the squad:

Keeper: Shuichi Gonda, Shunsuke Ando

Def: Yuhei Tokunaga (overage), Maya Yoshida (overage), Daisuke Suzuki, Hiroki Sakai, Gotoku Sakai

Mid: Hiroshi Kiyotake, Taisuke Muramatsu, Keigo Higashi, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Takahiro Ogihara, Takashi Usami

Fwd: Kensuke Nagai, Yuki Otsu, Manabu Saito, Kenyu Sugimoto

Injury standby: Akihiro Hayashi (keeper-overage), Kazuki Oiwa (def), Takuji Yonemoto (mid), Ryohei Yamazaki (fwd)

The notable omission has to be Ryo Miyaichi. The most likely explanation is that Arsenal were not going to release him for the Olympics. However, the fact that they posted a note on their website about his inclusion in the preliminary squad, and the rumors swirling about his imminent loan move to Southampton, indicate that a) they were at least entertaining the idea of letting him go, and b) since he is moving on loan, his participation in the Olympics didn’t matter to them at all. So, if Arsenal were in fact okay with him being in the squad, then this is a ridiculous omission. Firstly, he played regularly for Bolton last season, in the most competitive league in the world. While he didn’t start every match, he came off the bench in the ones he didn’t, and at least got playing time in most of Bolton’s matches. This is more than some of the players chosen above him can say, playing in the J. League. Secondly, he is one of the most talented players that Japan have. The Olympics are the time to test out your talents, so take your most talented players.

Another omission is Yoshiaki Takagi who should’ve been at least a reserve. He started playing regularly for Utrecht at the end of last season, which should be enough to warrant a spot on the Olympic team. Yuya Osako, Mizuki Hamada, and Hiroshi Ibusuki were also omitted. Osako has been playing well for a an underachieving Kashima Antlers side this season. Hamada is an exciting central defender, but the JFA opted for overage players in that position. Ibusuki should’ve also been at least a reserve–he could’ve provided a plan b in the Andy Carroll mold.

The biggest surprise inclusion is Kenyu Sugimoto, who has four goals this season for Tokyo Verdy…in J.2. At 6 foot 2, he does provide that plan b, but clearly Ibusuki, with 20 goals in the Spanish third division, should get in ahead of him.

I will post about the potential starting xi in the future, but for now, what do you think?

The Summer So Far

Sorry for the extended absence–I just finished school and graduated. There was a lot to tie up at the end and things got quite busy, but graduation was one of the proudest days of my life. Congratulations to the Dartmouth Class of 2012!

While I’ve been away, there has been a lot going on in the world of Japanese football. For one, the next round of World Cup qualification began. Japan has got off to a flying start, and the match with Australia was one of the more electric qualifying matches for any tournament that I’ve seen. Shinji Kagawa has moved to Manchester United. As expected, the best Japanese player over the past two seasons has completed his dream move to England. Takashi Usami has moved to Hoffenheim. After a season of limited opportunities at Bayern, Usami moved to a different Bundesliga team where his playing time will most likely increase dramatically. Finally, the preliminary Japanese Olympic football team has been announced. I’ll examine all these things in the coming days as I get back to posting regularly.

Japan has gotten off to a great start in the fourth round of World Cup qualification. After three matches played in Group B, Japan is in first place with 7 points and a +9 goal difference. They started things off with a 3-0 home win over Oman, and then a 6-0 home win over Jordan. Honda scored a hat trick in the second game. In their third match, they earned a 1-1 draw away to Australia, in what was likely their most difficult fixture of the round. With two sendings off and an electric crowd of over 40,000, the match was a great spectacle. Next up for Japan is a home match with Iraq on 11 September.

Shinji Kagawa moves to Manchester United. Kagawa signed a four-year deal on Friday, 22 June. He had previously said that the Premier League was his dream destination, and after he rejected renewed terms from Dortmund, it was widely expected that his dream would be realized. When Alex Ferguson was on hand to watch Kagawa play an instrumental role in Dortmund’s 5-2 mauling of Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal Final, a move to United seemed a certainty. After he signed, there was speculation as to whether he would wear the famous No. 7 shirt, with previous holder Michael Owen having been released. However, Kagawa said that he could not yet wear the shirt as he had not yet accomplished anything with the club, and would instead chose a number with “personal meaning.” I will post on where Kagawa will likely play for United and the implication his success could have for the national team in the coming days. But for now, congratulations to a great player on a great move! Personally, I can’t think of a team where he would be better suited to succeed.

Takashi Usami moves to TSG Hoffenheim. Usami found first team opportunities few and far between at Bayern last season. With Ribery and Robben playing the same position as him, it was always going to be difficult for Usami to break into the first team. He was a standout for the reserve team, however, and was regularly rewarded for his good play with a place on the first team bench. The move to Hoffenheim is perfect, and he should get consistent first team playing time.He’s still only 20 years old, and a good debut season could be the first step in a successful career in Europe.

The preliminary squad for Japan’s Olympic men’s football team has been announced. The 35-man roster includes Ryo Miyaichi, Hiroki Sakai (recently signed with Hannover 96), Gotoku Sakai, Hiroshi Kiyotake, and Usami. The three overage players are Yuhei Tokunaga (def, FC Tokyo), Maya Yoshida, and Akihiro Hayashi (gk, Shimizu S-Pulse). Kagawa and Honda were both left out after long club seasons. The squad will be trimmed to 18 + 4 reserve players by 11 July.

Look forward to regular posting now that I have graduated.