Sep 23 2011, 12:17 PM
Btw, match review from the Japanese camp :
Thursday, 22 September 2011 10:49 Ken Matsushima
U-22 Japan 3 - 1 Malaysia U-22
Date: September 20, 2011
Location: Tosu Stadium
Japan 2
1
1H 0
1 2H 0
0 Malaysia
Keigo Higashi (10')
Ryohei Yamazaki (76')
Scoring
Cautions Ramulan
Jussoh
Shuichi Gonda; Hiroki Sakai, Daisuke Suzuki, Mizuki Hamada, Daisuke Suzuki; Kazuya Yamamura, Takahiro Ogihara (Hotaru Yamaguchi 81'); Hiroshi Kiyotake, Keigo Higashi (Ryohei Yamazaki 68'), Genki Haraguchi; Yuya Osako (Kensuke Nagai 59')
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Japan's U-22 National Team began its quest for a spot at the 2011 Olympics in London, this week, with a home contest against Malaysia. Japan lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, adopting the same overall formation, style and game plan as the full national team. Malaysia may rank well below Japan in global rankings, but their U22 team is quite a bit more competitive than their full national team. Among other things, the Malaysians fielded all three of thge overage players allowed under the rules of this tournament, and they have been playing together for nearly a year, as a "special club" in the country's domestic league. While Japan looked quite a bit sharper in the opening exchanges, it was apparent from the start that Malaysia has some talented players of their own, and would not be pushovers.
The Young Samurai got off to a perfect start, scoring the opening goal after just ten minutes, when A quick steal in midfield triggered a counterattack and Hiroshi Kiyotake broke through the middle with Yuya Osako on his left and Keigo Higashi on his right. After feinting towards the left channel to draw the defende, Kiyotake played the ball out to Higashi in space on the right, and the Omiya Ardija playmaker stroked a shot across the face of goal and inside the left post. Japan's one-touch passing had the Malaysian defence back on their heels, unsure of how to respond or how to cover the constantly moving Samurai Blue. For a few moments after the opening goal, it looked like Japan might simply overwhelm the Malaysian defence. But two nice saves by the keeper - one on a header by Higashi and another on an Osako drive into the right corner - gave the visitors some breathing space and they started to settle down.
Japan's early pressure drove straight through the middle, and was successful because the opposing players were standing flat-footed. But as the contest developed a rhythm, Japan started to use the wings more, with the two Sakais - Gotoku on the left and Hiroki on the right - overlapping repeatedly to send in crosses. But as noted above, the Malaysians were no pushovers, and since the officiating team seemed willing to overlook most of their punishing challenges, the midfielders had a hard time developing a good rhythm. Despite a relatively one-sided run of play, Japan was unable to extend their lead. Though this generation is clearly a lot tougher, and more prepared to mix it up than the shinking violets we have seen on past Olympic teams, Malaysia's constant checking threw their rhythm off and this had a clear impact on the offence.
The Young Samurai Blue also tried to be a bit too flashy and technical with their one-touch passes, making things easier for the defence to intervene. At one point Haraguchi, Kiyotake, Osako an Higashi exchanged seven passes at the top of the penalty box looking for the perfect opening, yet none of them seemed able to pull the trigger. By the final few minutes of the first half coach Sekizuka could be heard shouting from the sidelines: "Simple! Keep it Simple!" In the final minute of the half, a sequence of five one-touch passes shredded the Malaysian defence and gave Kiyotake had a one-on-one with the keeper, but he tried to make a fancy quick-step past the goaltender and walk the ball into the net, and was denied on another fine play by the Malaysian #1.
Malaysia who came out in the second half looking even more inspired. Their hard running and aggressive ball pressure combined with an even more lackadaisical exchange of aimless passes from the Japanese players to suddenly turn it into a very balanced contest. As the hour mark approached it began to look like Malaysia might even be able to equalise. The worst offender was Kiyotake, who wasted one dangerous chance after another trying to play backheels or to thread a one-touch pass through six defenders. After he was stonewalled for the second time in the match while trying to dribble around the keeper rather than just shooting from the edge of the six-yard box, the crowd started too whistle and murmur with concern.
Coach Sekizuka didnt make things better with his choice of substitutions. Though the biggest problem for Japan was clearly the over-passing and prima-donna prancing of Kiyotake and his Cerezo teammate Ogihara, and the near-invisibility of Reds playmaker Genki Haraguchi, the coach opted to replace Yuya Osako with Kensuke Nagai, and bring Ryosuke Yamazaki on for the consistently excellent Keigo Higashi. Both Yamazaki and Nagai looked sharp as substitutes, and indeed they were instrumental to finishing off the opponent. But the apallingly wasteful play by the midfielders (Kiyotake, in particular) squandered one chance after another. It wasnt until the 75 minute when Nagai finally managed to dash behind the Malaysian defence for a chipped pass, and volley it back in front of goal for Yamazaki to slam into the back netting. Five minutes later Yamazaki managed to set up Kiyotake for his third chance of the evening from within six yards of goal, only for the Cerezo midfielder to drive it straight into a Malaysian defender.
Kiyotake rounded off a truly awful evening by injuring his leg - possibly a hamstring - with about six minutes remaining and all of Japan's substitutes already used. Though Japan will be happy to start off their Olympic qualification campaign with a win, this was definitely not a performance that they can be proud of. -
This post has been edited by Icahn: Sep 23 2011, 12:18 PM
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