Japan 0 - 0 Peru

Date: June 6, 1999 Location: Tokyo Natl Stadium Japan 0 1H 0 0 2H 0 Peru Scoring Naoki Soma Cautions Norberto Solano Juan Hayo Luis Guadalupe Seigo Narazaki, Yutaka Akita, Naoki Soma, Toshihiro Hattori, Ryuzo Morioka, Toshiya Fujita (Atsuhiro Miura 64), Hiroshi Nanami (Toshihide Saito 45), Teruyoshi Ito, Hidetoshi Nakata (Tsuyoshi Kitazawa 84), Wagner Lopez (Daisuke Oku 70), Atsushi Yanagisawa Oscar Ibanez, Juan Reynoso, Luis Guadalupe (Jose Chacon 72), Miguel Rebocio, Jorge Soto, Roberto Baracios, Juan Hayo, Jose Perreira, Norberto Solano, Flavio Maestori (Andres Mendoza 89), Claudio Pizzaro (Roberto Orsene 59)

Despite Japan's big success at the World Youth Championships, the full national team was still a work in progress. Over the course of 1999, the full national team would struggle through the most disappointing period of the Troussier era, and this would very nearly cost the Frenchman his job. If not for the relative success of his youth teams, Troussier probably would not have made it through the year. Yet in 1999, the performances of Troussier's national teams show that it took him quite a long time to "get it", and start rebuilding the team on a younger base.

The long period of drought for the national team commenced in early June, with the annual Kirin Cup tournament. Japan invited Belgium and Peru as opponents in this round-robin tournament. Neither team brought its very best squad, but they did have a number of quality players. In both matches, Japan simply was unable to create serious scoring opportunities. The team managed some good ball movement in midfield, and the defence (which still featured players like Yutaka Akita and Naoki Soma, in a four-back set) was solid. However, try as they might, Japan just couldnt get off any decent shots on goal. Both matches ended with the same result -- scoreless draws.