Where to now for Japan?

Keisuke Honda criticised his team's defensive football and admitted that he wouldn't even have watched the match.

Takeshi Okada apologised to the nation for failing to achieve his goal of steering Japan to the semi-finals.

Meanwhile, broadcaster TBS is under fire for wringing a tearful apology from the mother of defender Yuichi Komano in the aftermath of Japan's heartbreaking 5-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to Paraguay.

As the dust settles on Japan's dramatic shoot-out exit from the FIFA World Cup, questions now turn to the future of the Japanese national team - and more specifically just who will coach the Samurai Blue following the rollercoaster reign of Okada.

The former Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F. Marinos coach went into the tournament under a hail of media scrutiny, yet Okada revamped his public image by guiding his unfancied Japanese side to the Round of 16 in South Africa.

In the process, Japan recorded their first ever World Cup wins on foreign soil, beating Cameroon 1-0 and Denmark 3-1 en route to the knock-out stage.

Yet it was the conservative nature of their tactics against an equally cagey Paraguay which disappointed some critics - including CSKA Moscow midfielder Honda, who told the Asahi Shimbun that he wouldn't even have bothered to watch the game.

"My football life will go on," he told the newspaper after the loss. "We played defensively at this World Cup, but I hope we'll pursue winning through more attractive performances at the next World Cup," Honda added.

A disappointed Okada admitted his sorrow at failing to fulfill his pre-tournament ambition of reaching the semi-finals, but it was an apology of a different kind which drew fierce criticism in traditionally conservative Japan.

Broadcaster TBS drew widespread scorn when they interviewed Yuichi Komano's visibly upset mother in the wake of the defeat, with Jubilo Iwata defender Komano the unlucky player to miss during the shoot-out as his spot-kick clattered against the crossbar.

The Tokyo-based network appeared determined to wring an apology from the 28-year-old's mother, with the tacky interview drawing immediate condemnation across the four main islands of Japan.

Just why TBS felt compelled to force the issue with the ageing Komano matriarch remains a mystery, but a more pertinent question for fans of Japanese football is just who will take over at the helm of the national team.

Former Urawa Reds coach Guido Buchwald appeared to be the frontrunner prior to the World Cup, with his previous working relationship with JFA chief Motoaki Inukai often cited as an important factor.

Many domestic observers would like to see Gamba Osaka coach Akira Nishino handed the job, despite the fact that Nishino appears reluctant to throw his hat into the ring.

However, a new candidate has now emerged, as reports surface that Kashima Antlers coach Oswaldo de Oliveira may be approached to take over just three years after arriving in the country.

The Brazilian has won three successive J. League titles with the Ibaraki outfit, with many pundits now suggesting that the fiery tactician is the perfect candidate to take over from the departing Okada.

Whether de Oliveira takes charge of Japan remains to be seen, but if he does move into the international hotseat, he may drastically overhaul the Japanese squad.

Just two Kashima players were named in Okada's squad - defenders Atsuto Uchida and Daiki Iwamasa - and neither of them saw a minute of action in South Africa.

Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Japan confident ahead of second round showdown

Takeshi Okada says he'll become a farmer after the World Cup, but just hours before Japan's second round showdown with Paraguay, the quietly-spoken coach shows no sign of pulling up roots.

Okada is confident that his side can make history and reach the final eight of a World Cup for the first time, taking one step closer to fulfilling his pre-tournament prediction that Japan are good enough to reach the semi-finals in South Africa.

Few were left doubting that premise after Japan's 3-1 drubbing of Denmark in their final group game, in a match in which both Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo mastered the erratic Jabulani ball to crash home spectacular free-kicks.

Japanese players have long been renowned for their exceptional technique, but it's the hard-running and incisive vision of CSKA Moscow midfielder Honda that has caught the eye, with a host of European clubs now putting the creative talent at the top of their shopping list.

Honda had hardly featured for the Samurai Blue in the build-up to the World Cup finals, but he has quickly transformed into a team leader in the absence of an out-of-sorts Shunsuke Nakamura.

Such is Honda's exceptional form up front that Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki now looks likely to spend the rest of the tournament starting from the bench, despite the fact that the powerful front man was the most prolific international striker in 2009.

Okazaki is not the only player to have fallen foul of Okada's axe, with Schalke-bound defender Atsuto Uchida another left out in the cold during the chilly South African winter, as veteran Yuichi Komano is preferred on the right-hand side of defence.

Komano is a part of a back four rippling with experience, and many critics believe that towering stoppers Marcus Tulio Tanaka and Yuji Nakazawa have been arguably the stand-out central defensive partnership in this year's tournament.

The pair will need to display all their renowned fighting spirit to keep an impressive looking Paraguay attack at bay, and if Manchester City star Roque Santa Cruz isn't a formidable enough opponent, the South Americans also have Borussia Dortmund strikers Nelson Valdez and Lucas Barrios to call upon.

Like their opponents, Paraguay have never reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup, so history will be made come the full-time whistle at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria.

Takeshi Okada won't want to be reaching for the plough just yet, and he is confident that his side can conjure another unexpected victory, as Japan's enigmatic coach looks to continue his surprising renaissance at the helm of the national team.

Copyright © Mike Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com

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Japan braced for tough Dutch test in Durban

The Netherlands brushed aside Japan when the two sides met in a friendly in Enschede just over nine months ago, but there's far more at stake when the pair meet at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban today, with a place in the World Cup knock-out stages on the line.

Fresh from their opening day victories, both sides will be eager to book a spot in the Round of 16 with another win here, although neither side looked particularly convincing in their first-up performances.

The Dutch may have laboured to a scratchy 2-0 win over Denmark last time out, but for Japan coach Takeshi Okada it was all about the result, as the Samurai Blue conjured their first ever World Cup victory on foreign soil with a narrow 1-0 win over Cameroon.

It was hardly champagne football on display from the Asian powerhouses, but after relieving some of the immense pressure heaped upon them by an expectant press and public, Japan can relax as they go into the Durban clash as underdogs.

CSKA Moscow attacker Keisuke Honda knows all about Dutch football, having spent two-and-a-half successful seasons at VVV Venlo before moving to the Russian league.

The 24-year-old scored the only goal in the game against Cameroon, and he will hope to extend his streak against a Dutch defence which at times looked vulnerable in their opening win over Denmark.

"The atmosphere within the team is very good after collecting a win," fellow attacker Yoshito Okubo told the Japan Football Association website.

"As we will play at a lower altitude, I should be able to run more," he added.

Should Japan lose the match in Durban, they will face Denmark in a do-or-die showdown in Rustenburg on June 24.

Samurai Blue fans no doubt hope that it won't come to that, as Takeshi Okada and his side look to pull off another improbable win over one of the genuine aristocrats of world football.

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Moment of truth for Okada's Japan

Their team's preparation could hardly have been worse, but the wait is finally over for Japan fans as the Samurai Blue get set to make their bow at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

Coach Takeshi Okada's embattled side turned in a string of poor performances in pre-World Cup friendlies, but there will be far more at stake when captain Makoto Hasebe leads his team out against Cameroon at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontain today.

Japan go into the match knowing that the clash with African hopefuls Cameroon arguably marks their best chance of victory, but given that a lack of goals remains a constant problem for Okada's side, all eyes will be on who the bespectacled tactician selects up front.

The consensus is that CSKA Moscow attacker Keisuke Honda may get the nod, despite the fact that he normally plays as a creative midfielder for his club side.

That would mean that Shimizu S-Pulse striker Shinji Okazaki will have to be content with a place on the bench, with Okazaki paying the price for his chronic lack of goals in 2010.

If Japan are struggling in attack, they're also less than watertight at the back, and inexperienced Kawasaki Frontale goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima may be preferred to error-prone veteran Seigo Narazaki in goal.

Yet it's several old stagers who Japan are likely to rely upon for defensive inspiration, with the talismanic Yuji Nakazawa set to lead by example alongside Marcus Tulio Tanaka in central defence, while Okada favourite Yasuyuki Konno looks set to get the nod at right-back over former incumbent Atsuto Uchida.

Whatever his formation, Okada will be acutely aware of the intense scrutiny his side face from both the Japanese and international press. His claim that Japan should aim for a semi-final berth was met with widespread derision both at home and abroad, and anything less than a win over Cameroon will almost certainly spell a swift World Cup demise for the Asian football heavyweights.

It's all eyes on the Free State Stadium then, as Japan look to lay the ghosts of 2006 to rest with a convincing opener against their unpredictable opponent. Whether they have the personnel required is the question on everyones' lips.

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Japan held to 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe

Things have gone from bad to worse to thoroughly miserable for Japan coach Takeshi Okada.

Four straight friendly defeats prompted Okada to organise a hastily scheduled training match against Zimbabwe overnight, but even that failed to yield relief as the Samurai Blue were held to a scoreless draw by the 110th-ranked African minnows.

Although the match was not listed as a full international, neither Catania striker Takayuki Morimoto, nor Shimizu S-Pulse star Shinji Okazaki managed to trouble the scorers, meaning

that Japan has now scored just once in the past five matches.

Okada has been under intense pressure following a string of dismal results, going so far as to tentatively offer his resignation to JFA President Motoaki Inukai following a 2-0 defeat to arch-rivals South Korea at Saitama Stadium.

That offer was summarily rebuked, but many are now wondering about the wisdom of appointing a coach who has already experienced three straight losses at a World Cup finals - with Okada the man in charge for Japan's maiden World Cup campaign at France '98.

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Urawa Reds march to the summit

It's been almost a year in coming, but Urawa Reds finally took possession of the top of the J. League standings following one of their best performances under German coach Volker Finke.

The J. League giants brushed aside Kawasaki Frontale 3-0 in front of 46,313 supporters at Saitama Stadium, with early goals from midfielder Hajime Hosogai and diminutive striker Tatsuya Tanaka setting the home team on their way.

Hosogai took advantage of some poor Kawasaki defending to chest a loose ball down on the edge of the penalty area, and while he directed his half-volley straight at Eiji Kawashima, the Japan no. 2 could only manage to deflect the ball into the top corner on its way in.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors soon after, as Tatsuya Tanaka embarked on a mazy run from midfield before unleashing a piledriver that flashed into the top corner of the goal, with the superb strike no doubt putting Japan coach Takeshi Okada on notice.

With talisman Kengo Nakamura on the bench as he continued his recovery from a broken jaw, Kawasaki almost cut the deficit as Masaru Kurotsu's long-range strike looped off a defender and clattered against the post.

The Kanagawa side went even closer just minutes later as defender Yusuke Igawa bundled home, only to have his effort incorrectly ruled out for offside.

In what was the most highly-charged of encounters, Kawasaki though they had found a way back into the game shortly after the restart, as they were awarded a penalty following Wilfried Sanou's clumsy foul on North Korean international Chong Tese.

However Urawa goalkeeper Norihiro Yamagishi proved tough to beat from twelve yards, as he guessed correctly to fling himself to his right and keep out Renatinho's low spot-kick.

The stage was set for a final Urawa goal and it came from the unlikeliest of sources, as substitute Satoshi Horinouchi tapped home after Kawashima could only parry Edmilson's curling right-foot strike.

"I think we're on the right track, regardless of what anyone thinks and today's result and performance back that up," Urawa coach Finke told The Daily Yomiuri after the match.

"The two early goals certainly helped and I think given the way we were playing, the third goal was just a matter of time."

Urawa leapfrogged Shimizu S-Pulse into top spot in the standings, although the Shizuoka side remain the only unbeaten team left following their 1-1 draw away at Gamba Osaka on Saturday.

Veteran Gamba midfielder Tomokazu Myojin opened the scoring for the Kansai side at a packed Expo '70 Stadium in Osaka, however Japan striker Shinji Okazaki equalised with a deflected effort midway through the second half.

J2

Relegated sides Kashiwa Reysol, Oita Trinita and JEF United have all made bright starts to life in the second tier, with Kashiwa looking the team to beat after seven rounds of action.

Brazilian coach Nelsinho's team are the only unbeaten side left in the division, after the Sun Kings comfortably dispatched of Sagan Tosu 2-0 at Kashiwa Hitachi Stadium in Chiba.

Oita Trinita thumped Thespa Kusatsu 3-1 away from home, however JEF United slumped to a disappointing 2-1 loss in front of more than 7,500 fans at Momotaro Stadium in the west of Japan, as the visitors went down 2-1 away at Fagiano Okayama.

The Shikoku derby finished scoreless - to the disappointment of the 11,115 fans who turned out at Pocari Sweat Stadium - with local rivals Tokushima Vortis and Ehime FC forced to share the spoils in a hard-fought encounter.

Kashiwa Reysol lead the nascent standings from Oita Trinita, with surprise package Roasso Kumamoto currently lying in third place in the table.

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