Asian Cup Qualifiers:

Japan 3 - 0 Macao

Date: Feb 13, 2000 Location: Macao Stadium Japan 3 1 1H 0 2 2H 0 0 Macao Masashi Nakayama (35') Naohiro Takahara (57') Masashi Nakayama (65') Scoring Cautions Daniel Dias (48') Daniel Dias (87') Sent Off Daniel Dias (87') Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Naoki Matsuda, Yuji Nakazawa, Koji Nakata, Takeshi Hirano (Toshihiro Hattori 79), Masaaki Sawanobori (Tomokazu Myojin 28), Junichi Inamoto, Shinji Ono (Daisuke Oku 51), Shunsuke Nakamura Masashi Nakayama, Kazuyoshi Miura (Naohiro Takahara 45) Domingos Chan, Daniel Dias, Lam Ka Koi, Long Kin Chon, Ung So Chong, Che Chi Man, Leong Kin Meng, Fernando Rodriguez, Miguel Heitor, Chang Chon Man (Hoi Man Lo 71), Lei Lo Yen (Tam Lao San 63)

The qualifying matches for the Asian Cup, in 2000, marked the watershed for Japan's national team, between the "old generation" and the "new generation". Early in 2000, Phillippe Troussier gave members of the old guard one last chance to show what they could do. When they failed to come through, he began making a wholesale shift in his national team to the younger core of players from the U-23 team, which had been racking up a string of impressive wins in the qualifying rounds for the Sydney Olympics. At the Carlsberg Cup, Troussier started this shift, adding defenders Koji Nakata and Naoki Matsuda, and midfielders Junichi Inamoto and Shinji Ono to the starting lineup. But just two weeks later, when the qualifiers for the 2000 Asia Cup kicked off in Macao, the change in generations was even more apparent

The team that took the field against Macao in the final of the three qualifiers at Macao Stadium was drawn largely from the U-23 team, with Matsuda, Nakata K. and Yuji Nakazawa forming the "flat three" back line and Shinji Ono, Shunsuke Nakamura and Junichi Inamoto in the attacking half of midfield. Just three veterans started the match, and as if to symbolise the passing of the torch to a new generation, all three would be replaced before the match was over. Masaaki Sawanobori started at a defensive midfield spot, but was quickly replaced by Tomokazu Myojin, who would quickly become a Troussier favourite in deep midfield. Although Masashi Nakayama demonstrated that he was still national team quality, despite his age, Naohiro Takahara showed signs of coming into his own as a scoring ace after coming on as a second-half substitute. As for the third of the veterans, Kazu Miura, his star was now setting. He was replaced at half time whithout having made any impact on the match.

Despite their home field advantage, Macao was not in the same league as Japan, and one of the themes that emerged in this match was the inability ofJapan's strikers to finish off the many excellent chances that the midfield created. Nevertheless, it was an easy ride for Japan, and was over as soon as Nakayama hit the net with a header following a fine buildup on the left side by Ono and Nakamura. After Takahara came on, the team started to look a bit more adept at finishing. When a long ball from Takeshi Hirano to Nakayama sent the Macao defence into retreat, Takahara found the seam, followed Nakayama into the box and finished off his drop pass with a thundering drive. Nakayama added one more to complete the rout