Tajikistan 0-4 Japan

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.

Highlights.

Japan 8-0 Tajikistan

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.

Highlights.