Yeah, yeah he may have only played six games on loan (scoring once) but Naohiro Takahara's short spell at Argentine giants Boca Juniors ensures that the fans will be out in force at the National Stadium in Tokyo tonight.

Thousands of Boca-jersey-wearing Japanese fans are making their way in to Kokuritsu, with locals keen to check out the famed Buenos Aires club for whom the former Jubilo Iwata and current Eintracht Frankfurt striker once played.

Boca are expected to hand Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel a footballing lesson in the Japanese capital, but as Etoile demonstrated in beating Mexican side Pachuca in their opening game, there are no certainties at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Nevertheless with the likes of Sebastian Battaglia, Hugo Ibarra, Rodrigo Palacio and Martin Palermo to call upon, Boca will be tough to beat, particularly given the importance with which they have treated inter-continental tournaments in the past.

One player missing from the Boca midfield is playmaker Juan Roman Riquleme, whose transfer from Spanish side Villarreal was finalised after the official squads for the Club World Cup had been named.

     Boca conta com a experiencia de Palermo para chegar a sua 4a. final intercontinental 

Tudo parace estar calmo pelos lados do Boca Juniors aqui no Japão.

A equipe Argentina está confiante e motivada para vencer o jogo contra supresa Tunisiana do Etoile du Sahel e chegar à final da Copa do Mundo de Clubes da FIFA.

De acordo com o assessor de imprensa da equipe, o time se encontra totalmente concentrado neste jogo mas já com a final em mente.

Em nossa conversa por telefone apenas alguns minutos atrás ele me contou que o Boca vai passo a passo para ganhar o título.

Ele também revelou o sentimento da euqipe quanto a ausência de Riquelme. "O Juan (Román Riquelme) foi crucial para a conquista da Copa Libertadores mas desde que ele saiu nós aprendemos a jogar sem ele. Esta equipe conta com muitos grandes jovens talentos e também com jogadores experientes que estão muito determinados a ganhar esse título." 

Ainda de acorod com a Assessoria de Imprensa do Boca, a equipe está preprarada para não cometer os mesmos erros que o Pachuca cometeu contra o Etoile du Sahel. "Nós assisitimos a partida deles e estudamos a melhor maneira de furar o esquema defensivo que eles armam. Nós respeitamos a equipe tunisiana mas temos que pressionar desde o início para impormos nosso futebol."

Se o Boca alcançar o sucesso esperado na partida de hoje à noite será a primeira vez que a equipe argentina chega à final do Mundial de Clubes nesse formato da FIFA mas ao mesmo tempo será a quarta vez que o time disputa uma final intercontinental. Nas outras 3 oportunidades que chegou ã decisão o Boca ganhou todas.

Um bom sinal para os fãs! 

Qual será o placar do jogo de hoje? Na minha opinião o Boca vence por 3 x 0.  

Eu sou o  Mano Gil, escrevendo diretamente de Tóquio, com exclusividade para o Ole Ole.    

Dewa mata suguni ne!!!

   Boca cuenta con la experiencia de Palermo para llegar a su 4a. Final Intercontinental 

Todo parece tranquilo con Boca aquí en Japón.

El equipo Argentino está confiante y motivado para ganr el partido contra la sorpresa tunecina de Etoile du Sahel y lograr un sitio en la final de la Copa Mundial de Clubes de la FIFA.

Conforme su Assessor de la Prensa, el equipo se encuentra muy concentrado en neste primero partido pero con el objetivo fijo en la final. 

Él tanbiém me dijo on teléfono unos minutitos atrás que Boca siempre camina un paso de cada vez para ganar el título.

Tambiém me reveló cerca del sentimiento del equipo por la ausencia de Riquelme. “Juan (Roman Riquelme) fué fundamental para ganarmos la Copa Libertadores pero desde que se fué el equipo aprendió a jugar sin él. El equipo tienes muchos talentos jovenes y jugadores más experientes y todos están determinados para buscar el título."

Aún conforme con la Assessoria de la Prensa de Boca Juniors, el equipo está listo para que no cometas los mismos errores que Pachuca cometió contra Etoile du Sahel. “Nosostros estudiamos el partido de Pachuca e Etoile y intentaremos romper la estrategia defensiva de ellos. Nosostros respectamos al equipo de Etoile du Sahel porque llegaram hasta acá por sus proprios meritos pero vamos presionar la defensa de ellos para hacer prevalecer nuestro estilo de jugar".

Se Boca alcanzar el sucesso que desean en el partido esta noche llegarán a su primera final de la copa en neste formato de FIFA per será la 4a. Final Intercontinental para el equipo. En las otras 3 oportunidads Boca ganó todas. 

Bueno para los aficionados! 

Cual es tuya predicción para el partido de hoy? La mya es que Boca ganará por 3 x 0.  

Yo soy Mano Gil, escribindo diretamiente de Tokyo, con exclusividad para Ole Ole.    

Dewa mata suguni ne!!!

     Boca counts on Palermo experience to lead them to their 4th Intercontinental Finals 

It seems that everything is calm on Boca’s side here in Japan.

The Argie team is confident and motivated to win the game against the Tunisian surprise of Etoile du Sahel and move on to the finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.  

According to the media representative for Boca, the team is totally focused on this first game and aiming for the finals.

He told me on the phone just a few minutes ago that Boca will go one step at a time to win the title.  

He also revealed the team’s feelings about Riquelme’s absence. “Juan (Roman Riquelme) was crucial for the team to win the Copa Libertadores but since he left the team learned how to play without him. The team is full of great young talents and experienced players who are all very determined to win this title.” 

Still according to Boca’s media representative, the team is prepared to avoid the same mistakes that Pachuca made against Etoile du Sahel. “We watched that game and we studied the best way to break their defensive strategy. We respect Etoile du Sahel because they made it to this round by their own merits but we need to start the game putting pressure on them, to make our game prevail”. 

If Boca achieves the expected success in the game tonight it will be their first final in this FIFA format of the World Club Cup but it will be Boca’s 4^th Intercontinental Final. All the other 3 times Boca made to the finals they won.

A good sign for the fans! 

What is your prediction for tonight’s game? Mine is Boca wins 3 x 0.  

I’m Mano Gil, writing directly from Tokyo, exclusively for Ole Ole.    

Dewa mata suguni ne!!!

MikeTuckerman speaks to Zeljko Kalac for OleOle

AC Milan trained in Yokohama ahead of their upcoming clash with Urawa Reds, and after the session Milan goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac took time out to speak exclusively to OleOle.

MT: Welcome to Japan, Spider. What's the mood in the camp?

Zeljko Kalac: We're feeling confident. We're well prepared and we've obviously come here to win the tournament.

MT: Did you get a chance to see Urawa's game yesterday?

Zeljko Kalac: Yeah, we watched it last night.

MT: What's the feeling?

Zeljko Kalac: They're a good side, obviously. They've had a long season, and they'll be looking forward to this match. I think the whole of Japan will be looking forward to this match, so it will definitely be difficult.

MT: You've played a couple of Champions League games this year, how do you think this will compare?

Zeljko Kalac: Our goal is definitely to win this tournament - it's very high on the list of priorities, to follow up on the Super Cup win and win this, and then continue on in the Champions League and qualify for the Champions League next year by finishing in the first four. But this is definitely a goal for us.

MT: A win here will take you above Boca in terms of trophies won. Is that a motivation for the team?

Zeljko Kalac: Oh, I didn't know about that! I think the last time they played Boca, Boca won 1-0. So we might get a chance to hopefully repay them.

MT: For all the Aussies out there, any chance of making it to the A-League in future?

Zeljko Kalac: No, I don't think so. I've still got another year and a half left after this. That will take me through to 36 and then we'll see if I have maybe one more year after that, and I think that'll do me.

Today AC Milan trained at 'Marinos Town' - the training centre of J-League side Yokohama F. Marinos.

The Rossoneri looked sharp, with Ronaldo taking part in the session as he attempts to recover from a calf injury that could keep him out of Milan's showdown with Urawa Reds at the Yokohama International Stadium on December 13.

In the pre-training press conference, Milan playmaker Andrea Pirlo singled out striker Washington, defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka and young wingback Takahito Soma as the players Milan must pay most attention to when the Rossoneri take on the Reds.

Croatian defender Dario Simic also trained this afternoon but it was Dutch international Clarence Seedorf who impressed, demonstrating his array of skills in front of the assembled world media.

Newly crowned European Footballer Of The Year Kaká was mobbed at every turn, with plenty of pressure on Milan to bring home the Club World Cup and become the first European side to do so since the competition was launched in its current format in 2000.

Os japoneses ainda comente erros bobos, alguns até difícies de entender como quando eles perdem gols dentro da pequena área, de frente com o goleiro com a bola rolando na frente do japa. Mas de uma forma geral os erros que mais frequentes surgem de tentativas de uma pedalada, ou de um passe de três dedos, ou de uma tentativa de um drible mais elaborado. É... parece que eles realmente aprenderam a jogar. 

Em 1993 quando a J-League foi lançada, a idéia de se ter uma equipe do Japão disputando qualquer torneo em nível mundia parecia algo muito absurdo mas algumas pessoas muito importantes acreditaram nisso. Zico foi uma dessas pessoas. O galinho de Quintino, o maestro do grande Flamengo dos anos 80 e a maior estrela da maior seleção que não ganhou a Copa do Mundo - o Brasil de 82 - chegou no Japão para ser o que o Pelé foi para o NY Cosmos no fim da década de 70. A única diferença é que a sociedade conservadora, tradicionalista e paternalista do Japão abriu as portas para essa revolução. 

Ná época, os esportes mais populares do Japão eram o baseball e o sumô. O Futebol já era praticado mas de uma maneira extremanente amadora. A idéia de se popularizar o esporte foi muito bem aceita e a presença de estrangeiros como Zico, que trouxe com ele uma grande leva de brasileiros, era exatamente o que a Federação Japonesa de Futebol queria para transformar o esporte aqui.

Hoje pode se dizer que os jogadores japoneses aprenderam muito com esse "Programa de Intercâmbio em Domicílio" e apesar de praticamente todas as equipes ainda contarem com a presença de pelo menos um brasileiro no elenco, já pode-se notar o surgimento de alguns talentos locais.

E a torcida… Aaah, a torcida...

 

A torcida japonesa AMA seus times. Eles vestem camisas, apoiam os jogadores, e cantam o jogo inteiro SEM PARAR. Honestamente eu fiquei muito feliz com o que vi aqui em plena segunda feira à noite. Não vejo a hora de ver o show que a torcida do Urawa Reds vai fazer no jogo contra o Milan.  

Portanto, se hoje em dia não dá mais pra dizer que o Japão é um time bobo que qualquer um pode vencer como é que a vamos chamar aquele garoto que de tão ruim só serve pra ser goleiro (e olhe lá)... Deixe-me pensar... aaaahhh... que tal Inglês?

“Ô moleque, você é tão ruim que até parece jogador da Inlgaterra..."

Eu sou Mano Gil, escrevendo diretamente do Estádio de Toyota, com exclusividade para o Ole Ole.

Sayonara!!!

Where were the fans? This apparently vast, massive army of Urawa fans? They weren't at Toyota Stadium.

A number of factors contributed to the swathe of empty seats visible throughout the 33,263 crowd at Toyota Stadium tonight.

The first is that the city of Nagoya lies around 400km (249 miles) from Urawa's home town of Saitama.

If this fixture had been played at the National Stadium in Tokyo - a favourite stamping ground of Urawa's, the match would have been sold out weeks in advance.

The second, and perhaps more important factor, was that this match was played on a weeknight. Had the game taken place on a Sunday afternoon - instead of a Monday night, then thousands more Urawa fans would invariably have made the long journey to Nagoya.

Yet I can't help but feel that the unsavoury jeering aimed at opposition players by Urawa fans is also a contributing factor for any neutral fans weighing up the decision to make their way to Toyota Stadium on a cold December night. Indeed, Urawa's self-proclaimed role as the "Manchester United of Japanese football" probably contains an unintended swipe - Urawa are as hated in Japan as they are popular.

The Urawa fans who did make their way to Toyota Stadium were in their usual fine voice - on their day, there's no louder bunch of fans in Japanese football. Yet their penchant for booing away teams and the number of self-styled "hooligans" who call Urawa their team, no doubt saw some football fans put their feet up and watch this match on TV from the comfort of their homes.

I remember a time when we would pick on that kid who was not a very good player by saying that he played like Japanese. Well that certainly is a thing of the past.

They still make mistakes that are almost impossible to understand like when … missed a certain goal from inside the box, face to face with the goalie but in general when they make a mistake is by trying an step-over, a curvy pass or a fancy move. They have learned.

In 1993 when the J-League was launched the idea of having a Japanese team playing in a World Level championship seemed like a far, far, far, away dream but some very important people believed in it. Zico was one of them. The maestro of the great Flamengo from the 80’s and the main component of the best team who didn’t win a World Cup – Brazil of 1982 – arrived in Japan to be what Pele was for the NY Cosmos in the the late 70’s. The only difference is that the conservative, traditionalist, paternalist Japanese culture were open for this revolution.    

The most popular sports in Japan were, at the time, baseball and sumo. Football existed but in a very amateur way. But the idea of popularizing football was very well accepted and the presence of foreign players like Zico, who attracted a bunch of other Brazilians with him was exactly what the Japanese Football Federation needed to transform the sport here.

Today Japanese players learned a lot from this “in-house exchange program” and even though almost every team has at least one Brazilian on their squad, one can see the arising of some good domestic talents.

And the fans… Oh, the fans…

 

Japanese football fans LOVE their teams. They wear the colors, they support the players, they chant ALL THE TIME! I’m honestly extremely pleased with what I saw here on a Monday night. I just can’t wait to see what show the Reds fans are going to put up against Milan.

So if Japan doesn’t have the easy to beat football how should we label that kid who is so bad that he ends up as the goalkeeper. Let me think… hmmm… what about English?

“Hey kid, you’re so bad that it seems you’re from England…”

I’m Mano Gil, writing from the Toyota Stadium, exclusively for Ole Ole.

Sayonara!!!

Keita Suzuki and co were too strong for Sepahan for the second time in two months, beating the Iranian side 3-1 at Toyota Stadium.

A Yuichiro Nagai strike just after the half hour mark put Urawa in control and made up for an atrocious miss from midfielder Makoto Hasebe only minutes earlier, after he inexplicably volleyed wide from just outside the six yard box.

In the second half Urawa lead a procession towards Mohammed Savari's goal, with former Brazilian international Washington finishing superbly after he rounded Savari to sweep home from the tightest of angles. 

Hadi Aghily scored his second own goal in as many FIFA Club World Cup games, but substitute Shinji Ono repaid the favour to Sepahan, when his woeful pass in midfield was intercepted and eventually tapped home by fellow substitute Mahmoud Karimi - to the  obvious annoyance of Urawa goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki, who turned in another assured performance at the back.

An added bonus for Urawa coach Holger Osieck was the form of youngsters Takahito Soma and Hajime Hosogai. Ex-Tokyo Verdy starlet Soma was a constant menace when he marauded forward from the back, and it was his excellent run and cross to Yuichiro Nagai that sent Urawa on their way. Japan under-22 international Hosogai also turned in an assured performance at the back, to suggest that he has a bright future at the Saitama giants.