Tamada Nets Brace for Japan

Grampus forward, Keiji Tamada scored two of Japan's three goals against East Asian minnows Hong Kong. In a game played in a torrential downpour, Japan struggled to break down their well-organized opponents and this was another far from convincing display. In particular, Mitsuo Ogasawara and Sota Hirayama had a disappointing game after looking the best of a bad bunch against Venezuela. (Yoshito Okubo looked as useless as always at this level.) Sota in particular reverted to his clumsy oaf persona that has prevented him making the most of his obvious talent.

Although this was an unconvincing performance by Japan, Hong Kong were aided by having their best player between the posts. Yapp Hung Fai made several smart saves, that kept the scoreline respectable, but also helped Japan get off the mark after an error. Japan needs to learn how to move the ball around quickly so that they can get past teams that pull everyone behind the ball, or they will be making an early return from South Africa in the summer. Despite 65% possession in this game, they never succeeded in breaking down the HK defence. Tamada's two goals were the result of poor defending and the third, was a typically sumptuous header by Tulio from an Endo corner.



Other Views
Japan Times: Tamada guides Japan to 3-0 win over Hong Kong
FIFA Ass-kissers: Japan breezes past Hong Kong