National Team Match:
Japan 1 - 0 Hong Kong

Date: 7 Dec, 2003 Location: Saitama Stadium Japan 1 1 1H 0 0 2H 0 0 Hong Kong Santos (35') Scoring -- Cautions -- Seigo Narazaki; Keisuke Tsuboi, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Yuji Nakazawa, Nobuhisa Yamada (Naohiro Ishikawa 79), Yasuhito Endo (Takuya Yamada 67), Takashi Fukunishi, Alessandro Santos, Mitsuo Ogasawara (Daisuke Oku 70), Yoshito Okubo, Tatsuhiko Kubo TBA

Perhaps it was the ridiculous gloating by Jay Kabira, prior to kickoff, about how much he wanted to se "lots and lots of goals". Perhaps it was the short-memory-span comments of the sports press, lauding the "breakthrough" performance of Tatsuhiko Kubo, while conveniently forgetting his proven record over almost a decade for being a woefully inconsistent finisher. Maybe it was the nervous expression on Zico's face as he discussed the performance of the 3-5-2 formation with reporters, saying "well, based on the performance against China, we will try it out once again, tonight." Maybe it was the empty upper decks of Saitama Stadium, suggesting that some national team supporters felt a match against Hong Kong wasnt worth the price of admission. Or perhaps it was just a tingle in the air, a scent on the wind, an indefinable sensation that lingered over the pitch as kickoff time approached.

It is difficult to say exactly what the reason was, but somehow as Japan prepared to play Hong Kong in their second match of the East Asian Championships, you just knew that things were not right. By the time Yoshito Okubo and Tatsuhiko Kubo had each squandered three point-blank opportunities (less than 20 minuts into the match), it was clear that the sense of foreboding was not just an illusion. Something clearly was not right. By the 30 minute mark, as Japan continued to spend long minutes passing the ball pointlessly around in their back line, one began to suspect he worst. Though the referee bailed Japan out, awarding a penalty kick to Alex Santos for what was surely a deliberate dive in the penalty area, the three points earned from a victorious result in this match cannot dispel the gloom creaed by Japan's performance in this contest.

Consider:

Mitsuo Ogasawara, playing at attacking midfielder after spending the last three days in the physio room and still visibly hobbling all evening long, was the most dangerous and effective player on the pitch. After he finally left the field midway through the second half, Hong Kong spend the next ten minutes dominating the match, and very nearly got the equaliser that they deserved. Alex Santos and Nobuhisa Yamada, moved to midfield in order to give them a chance to "contribute more to the offence", looked hopelessly adrift and completely disconnected with the offensive flow. And that doesnt begin to address the sad performance of the two strikers, who probably would not have been able to finish off a shot if the keeper had walked off the pitch for a coffee break.

About the only silver lining that one can find in this result is that it clearly highlighted the limitations of a three-back defence. None of Japan's three defenders showed either the ability or inclination to move forward in support of the attack, and if this is the case against a team like Hong Kong, what can we exect against more serious competition. Santos and Yamada, who are useful in their capacity to help "broaden the field" when playing in the back line, obviously do not have the passing accuracy or ability to make split-second decisions that one expects from midfield wings. And although someone like Shinji Ono or Junichi Inamoto might be more effective in playing both offensive and defensive roles from the volante position, Yasuhito Endo and Takashi Fukunishi clearly do not have that capacity.

Fortunately, hte opponetnt was Hong Kong, and thanks to some assistance from the referee, Japan was able to escape without serious damage. Nevertheless, if Japan do not resolve the issue of scoring inadequacy before next Wednesday, when they play Korea, they can expect to finish a distant second in the East Asian Championships.

Below is Japan's full roster for the East Asian Championships: