WC2010 Round of 16 - Paraguay vs Japan

Japan

Anyone remember this fella from the days when C4 had Gazzetta Football Italia ?

Kazuyoshi Miura or "Kazu"

only scored 1 goal in 21 apps for Genoa but he played for about 6 Brazilian clubs, Dinamo Zagreb, Sydney and numerous Japanese clubs.


He scored 55 goals in 89 caps for Japan between 1990 and 2000 which only puts him 2nd in their all time leading scorers 'cos someone got 75 goals in 76 caps from 1964-1977

Anyway he got six goals in one game v Macau, 8 in total v them, 5 in total v Bangladesh and 4 v Uzbekistan so these records aren't worth the paper they're written on.


Anyway - Japan were lovely to watch tonight and in Honda they seem to have improved on Nakamura.

I wouldn't say he is more skillful than Naka but he is tougher (not saying much) and looks to have a great career ahead of him

It's interesting we've now got 2 Asia vs SA clashes. The Asians could kill the S.American dream of having someone other than Brazil/Argentina in the QF for the first time since the invention of colour TV

Jaime wrote:

Kas is going to be furious

Japan has some technique to trouble Paraguay. Do they have enough technique like Perú (we have loads of technique to run circles around Paraguay) to beat Paraguay? Probably not, but this game is a lot closer than many people think. I hear them Euro c**ts "Paraguay are sure things against Japan, easy game for the South Americans". They don't know what they're talking about just like them c**ts who wrote
E
A
S
Y
thinking England were gonna walk the USA group.

Pierre Littbarski wrote:

Anyone remember this fella from the days when C4 had Gazzetta Football Italia ?

Kazuyoshi Miura or "Kazu"

only scored 1 goal in 21 apps for Genoa but he played for about 6 Brazilian clubs, Dinamo Zagreb, Sydney and numerous Japanese clubs.


He scored 55 goals in 89 caps for Japan between 1990 and 2000 which only puts him 2nd in their all time leading scorers 'cos someone got 75 goals in 76 caps from 1964-1977

Anyway he got six goals in one game v Macau, 8 in total v them, 5 in total v Bangladesh and 4 v Uzbekistan so these records aren't worth the paper they're written on.


Anyway - Japan were lovely to watch tonight and in Honda they seem to have improved on Nakamura.

I wouldn't say he is more skillful than Naka but he is tougher (not saying much) and looks to have a great career ahead of him

He's still playing for a J-2 league club, at the age of 43.

Nakamura's international career looks to be over. Kudos to Okada for benching him.

Paraguay are ambitious playing a 4-4-3 so it's going to be a very good game.

Japan are my favourites purely on the football they play,I am really impressed by Honda(has ever played as a lone striker prior this tournament?)

Obuko,Matusi,Endo,Hasebe but saying all this I think so far I haven't seen a central defence pairing as good as Tulio/Nakazawa(They are both beasts)

Honda

Still can't believe NO-ONE else went for him, when VVV were willing to sell

DD wrote:
Honda

Still can't believe NO-ONE else went for him, when VVV were willing to sell

no one takes the eredivisie serious and they certainly don't take it seriously when a player doesn't play for Ajax... or in a lesser sense for PSV....

HSV and CSKA are the exceptions to make the rule...

Ricardo Wetzel wrote:
no one takes the eredivisie serious and they certainly don't take it seriously when a player doesn't play for Ajax... or in a lesser sense for PSV....

HSV and CSKA are the exceptions to make the rule...

HSV has already made a shitload of money because of it....you'd expect other clubs to catch on to that...

EM Seleção e Selecção wrote:Paraguay are ambitious playing a 4-4-3 so it's going to be a very good game.

Japan are my favourites purely on the football they play,I am really impressed by Honda(has ever played as a lone striker prior this tournament?)

Obuko,Matusi,Endo,Hasebe but saying all this I think so far I haven't seen a central defence pairing as good as Tulio/Nakazawa(They are both beasts)

They were mightily impressive all tournament, especially Tulio.

The shocking thing is if you compare Japan's form just before the World Cup, they were losing to everyone, and their coach was under immense pressure from the press. Yet they've played decently and are now in the round of 16 and won't be impossible that they reach the QFs

EM Seleção e Selecção wrote:Paraguay are ambitious playing a 4-4-3 so it's going to be a very good game.

Japan are my favourites purely on the football they play,I am really impressed by Honda(has ever played as a lone striker prior this tournament?)

Obuko,Matusi,Endo,Hasebe but saying all this I think so far I haven't seen a central defence pairing as good as Tulio/Nakazawa(They are both beasts)

Interesting thing for me in game against Denmark was to watch Japanese full backs - both were very attacking minded, probably more than all of Japanese midfielders. I didn't see them playing earlier that way before, but yesterday Okada definitely told them to attack as aften as possible, they were probably the most attacking full backs I saw at this tournament for now, even more than ones from Mexico and Chile.

stinger wrote:

EM Seleção e Selecção wrote:Paraguay are ambitious playing a 4-4-3 so it's going to be a very good game.

Japan are my favourites purely on the football they play,I am really impressed by Honda(has ever played as a lone striker prior this tournament?)

Obuko,Matusi,Endo,Hasebe but saying all this I think so far I haven't seen a central defence pairing as good as Tulio/Nakazawa(They are both beasts)

Interesting thing for me in game against Denmark was to watch Japanese full backs - both were very attacking minded, probably more than all of Japanese midfielders. I didn't see them playing earlier that way before, but yesterday Okada definitely told them to attack as aften as possible, they were probably the most attacking full backs I saw at this tournament for now, even more than ones from Mexico and Chile.

Yeah, good way to pin back the Danish wingers, which was their strength against Cameroon.

Paraguay has a solid defense and probably the most exciting forward line at this world cup (Santa Cruz, Cardozo, Barrios). They should have no problems against Japan.

Edin Dzeko wrote: They should have no problems against Japan.

Bit of an over the top statement, isn't it. I think its very close.
The Japanese defense - despite firendlies results - have shown to be no walkovers. Japan have good defense, decent attack and are excellent in set pieces.

Japan already impressed in their pre WC friendly v us. They're still doing well. Individually I rate Paraguay higher, as a team I rate Japan higher. Uncallable for me.

My guess is that Paraguay will nick this one, or it will go into penalties at 0-0....

its a close one...

Japan have more creativity but both teams press the ball so much I can see it being a turgid midfield battle.

Still Japan to win.

Edin Dzeko wrote:Paraguay has a solid defense and probably the most exciting forward line at this world cup (Santa Cruz, Cardozo, Barrios). They should have no problems against Japan.

3 goals in the worst group. I think you are being a little kind here Edin.

KUYT #6 wrote:

Edin Dzeko wrote:Paraguay has a solid defense and probably the most exciting forward line at this world cup (Santa Cruz, Cardozo, Barrios). They should have no problems against Japan.

3 goals in the worst group. I think you are being a little kind here Edin.

So? Against Italy Santa Cruz and Cardozo played too little.

They humiliated Slovakia.

And they played for draw (that won the group) against New Zeeland.

As individuals all 3 are some of the best forwards playing in Europe now.

Ricardo Wetzel wrote:

DD wrote:
Honda

Still can't believe NO-ONE else went for him, when VVV were willing to sell

no one takes the eredivisie serious and they certainly don't take it seriously when a player doesn't play for Ajax... or in a lesser sense for PSV....

HSV and CSKA are the exceptions to make the rule...

Japanese tabs are saying Liverpool an City have been following him since VVV Venlo and had their scouts watch him at the Denmark match. He cost about 10mil Euros for CSKA but post WC may rise to 17-8mil. Still a reasonable price really for a pretty good 23 year old.

Also Nagatomo reportedly off to Brum.

These Japanese players pay for themselves. Marketing, merchandising, etc.

Why would CSKA sell him for that little? he still has 4 years of contract left.

USA and England have both played their archaic 4-4-2 up against modern teams with 3 in the middle and been done (at least Bradley had the sense to change it at half-time).

Are Paraguay next ?

News from Japan camp

1) Tulio has a groin strain an has trained separately from the rest of the squad.

2) Okada says the players are tired.

3) They will be practicing penalties today and tomorrow

Honda: "We will reach the final, against Germany!"

Paraguay: 1-Justo Villar; 14-Paulo Da Silva, 3-Claudio Morel, 13-Enrique Vera, 6-Carlos Bonet, 20-Nestor Ortigoza, 21-Antolin Alcaraz, 10-Edgar Benitez, 16-Cristian Riveros, 9-Roque Santa Cruz, 19-Lucas Barrios.

Japan: 21-Eiji Kawashima; 2-Yuki Abe, 22-Yuji Nakazawa, 4-Tulio, 3-Yuichi Komano; 5-Yuto Nagatomo, 16-Yoshito Okubo, 7-Yasuhito Endo, 17-Makoto Hasebe, 8-Daisuke Matsui, 18-Keisuke Honda.

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).

Paraguay dropping one striker comparing to recent games, not a surprise - they want to make sure, Japan won't beat them in midfield battle. Have a feeling that it can be a booooooooring game.

blutgraetsche wrote:Honda: "We will reach the final, against Germany!"

He's played in Holland for such a long time, that he thinks he's a Dutchman

Anyone watching this then? It should be quite an evenly balanced game. I'm be sneaking off from work ealry and catching the last twenty or so minutes.