All of their eggs, only one basket
Thursday, 26 July 07, 08:22 PM · Comments(8)
Japan's recent 3-2 loss to Saudi Arabia in their absorbing Asian Cup semi-final in Hanoi smacked of a team that had no Plan B. Plan A, of course, had been to beat Australia and avenge what had been a humiliating loss to The Socceroos at the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Once that mission had been accomplished, Japan looked a team bereft of inspiration.
Saudi Arabia threw everything but the kitchen sink at the two-time defending champions and in the end goals from Yasser Al Qahtani and a double to Malek Maaz were enough to see off the Japanese, who equalised twice through defenders Yuji Nakazawa and Yuki Abe.
The latter celebrated his goal as though it was some kind of catharsis. Well may it have been, since it was Abe who looked the weakest link in Japan's back line. His hesitant defending caused constant panic in the Japan defence, and against Saudi Arabia the finger of blame could surely be pointed at Abe for at least one of the goals. Yet the finger of blame will surely be pointed at coach Ivica Osim instead, who insisted on playing his former protege at JEF United out of position, while leaving Urawa Reds' experienced central defender Keisuke Tsuboi on the bench.
The issue of JEF United players in the Japan squad will no doubt rear its ugly head again, and although substitute Naotake Hanyu smacked the crossbar with a thunderous strike late in the match, the performances of Hanyu, Maki, Mizuno and Yamagishi in this tournament will surely draw further scrutiny in the post-mortem to this defeat.
So Japan trudge home failing to claim the third straight Asian Cup crown that they claimed they desired. Like Australia before them, they now experience the sting of unfulfilled ambition, but one can't help but wonder if it wasn't that quarter-final victory over Australia that took the wind out of Japan's sails and ultimately saw them blown off course by a proud Saudi outfit.
Like this blog? Help spread the word: 
Speaking of third world countries and things of the sort... Did you guys see the events that took place in Belgrade? Imagine getting kicked out of the Uefa Cup even after you won the game 6-1 because
of your fans? Painful stuff.
FuriousFlip, the Partizan fans are stupid. They rioted and they got what they deserved...getting kicked out of the UEFA Cup. All of us here, have BIG clubs and so we CAN'T imagine what would happen
if we get banned from a major European competition after WINNING. Fans like that are just plain retarded.
i agree... hasn't this stuff with partizan been goin on forever??? i don't think they can fix it
i wasn't personally but when you think of Asian Cup... sometimes people can assume??? i guess that's what it is
8 Comments · Add yours
i think you're right... the socceroos are a tough team to face no matter what... sometimes they may have a bad game but i dont think that this was one em... saudi arabia is a good team though... im
with you... it was a clean one-two punch against japan
Yes, I agree with everything, MikeTuckerman and Unitedfan005 said. But, for me, IRAQ will win the AC! They have to because they need the happiness, in the tragedy that struck, when some ASSHOLE
decided to blow up a whole bunch of Iraqis, that were celebrating their country's achievement of making it to the AC Final. Iraq (the football team) will get through it!