National Team Match:
Japan 3 - 2 Iceland

Date: 29 April, 2004 Location: Manchster, England Japan 2 1H 1 1 2H 1 Iceland Kubo (21') Kubo (36') Santos (58') Scoring Helguson (5') Helguson (50') Cautions Sent off Gunnarsson (82') Seigo Narazaki, Yuji Nakazawa, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Keisuke Tsuboi (Mitsuo Ogasawara 45), Junichi Inamoto (Takashi Fukunishi 45), Shinji Ono (Yasuhito Endo 64), Akira Kaji, Shunsuke Nakamura (Masashi Motoyama 45), Alessandro Santos, Tatsuhiko Kubo (Takayuki Suzuki 45), Keiji Tamada (Atsushi Yanagisawa 45) Arni Arason, Ivar Ingemarsson, Petur Martiensson, Hermann Hreidarsson, Johannes Gudjonsson, Thordur Gudjonsson, Bjarni Gudarsson, Gretarsson, Indindi Sigurdsson ( Maral Baldvinsson 76), Heidar Helgusson, Eidur Gudjonsson

Zico Japan extended its recent streak of positive performances with a win over Iceland, in Manchester City stadium on Sunday. It was not the prettiest of victories, and it certaily raises some issues for Zico to think about as he tries to decide his strategy for this summer's Asia Cup. However, it was still a win, and a win against European opposition on European soil. All in all, the positives certainly outweigh the negatives.

Nevertheless, Japan displayed one of the negatives right from the start. in the first five minutes of play, the back line was beaten twice to high balls by the taller Icelanders. Shortly after the second such opportunity was cleared, Miyamoto brought down his man on the right sideline, and conceded the first of several dangerous free kicks. This was to be the pattern throughout the match. Japan played extremely well in all other areas, but its efence around the box was quite shaky. How much of this was due to personnel and/or unfamiliarity with a three-man back line is hard to determine, but Zico will certainy need to give some thought to bringing Naoki Matsuda back into the NT roster, after this performance.

In any event, Iceland made good use of the free kick, sending a low line drive between the keeper and the pack of players dashing for goal. Seigo Narazaki managed to punch the ball away, but Helgusson was just inches away by that time, and the punched cleanrance hit him right in the chest (or perhaps the upper arm, but if so, it was not called that way by the referee), and bounded back into the goal.

Japan responded well to the initial goal, wasting no time in pushing for an equaliser. For the second match in a row, Shinji Ono and Junichi Inamoto performed brilliantly, and one wonders if this may not be due to the fact that both players are able to "be themselves", and play their style of football more effectively when Hide Nakata is not in the lineup. In any event, Japan dominated midfield throughout the first half (and really, thoughout the match though the superiority waned a bit when Inamoto went off for Takashi Fukunishi, at half time). Just moments after the goal, Ono sent Tatsuhiko Kubo into the box with a perfect timing pass, and though the opportunity was cleared away before Kubo could get a shot off, it was a clear harbinger of things to come.

Kubo had yet another fine performance in this match, and whatever else one might say about Zico, he seems to be the first coach ever to have been successful at bringing the "Spaceman" down to earth. In the 21 minute, a drop pass from Shunsuke Nakamura was beautifully one-timed by Ono, to Kubo at the intersection of the box and the right tip of the penalty arc. Kubo chested the ball down and, with a first step that left the Iceland defence flat-footed, surged into the box and looped the ball over the ourtushing keeper. This took Kubo's scoring streak to four consecutive matches -- certainly the longest string of effective performances in the notoriously inconsistent striker's career.

Fifteen minutes later he would go a step further as, once again, Ono provided a pass that simply gutted the Iceland defence. With a sudden outside flick of the boot, he sent a curling pass that met Kubo in full stride right at the top right corner of the box. Once again, Kubo lobbed the keeper and the score was 2-1 in Japan's favour

Having come back from a disappointing start to take the lead, Zico apparently decided that his starting unit had shown their mettle, and he shuffled the lineup completely at half time. Nakamura, Tsuboi, Kubo, Tamada and Inamoto all took showers and when the second half began they were replaced by Motoyama, Ogasawara, Suzuki, Yanagisawa and Fukunishi. The replacement of central defender Tsuboi with midfielder Ogasawara meant a shift in the formation, as well, with Alex Santos and Akira Kaji moving back to join Miyamoto and Nakazawa in the back line of a 4-4-2. The changes were not for the best, at least over the first ten minutes or so. The absence of Tsuboi, in particular, was keenly felt. Miyamoto and Nakazawa may offer a good balance of physical strength and height with brains and positioning, but neither one has Tsuboi's overall solidity, calm poise and that indefinable ability to "be in the right place". With Inamoto also off for the offensively slick but less combative and defensively solid Fukunishi, the burden on the two central defenders was even greater, and they did not seem entirely up to the task. The result was a lot of unnecessary fouling around the box, producing dangerous free kicks for Iceland. On one such opportunity, early in the half, Helgusson once again used his height to good purpose, heading home a short-range kick and bringing Iceland level once more.

But again, Japan quickly resumed the attack, and very nearly responded just seconds later, on a break by Atsushi Yanagisawa. But the Iceland keeper smothered the shot, and the match remained deadlocked. Ten minutes after Iceland's equaliser, Japan got a bit of a break as a Takayuki Suzuki and a defender both reached for a long ball into the box, clashed boots, and sprawled in the box. The referee wawarded a PK, which might have been a bit harsh, but made up for the many hard challenges by Iceland players that he had been ignoring for much of the second half. Santos collected from the spot and japan resumed the lead.

Thereafter, it was pretty much a one-sided affair, as the reserves began to get their act together and produce some fluid attacks. Iceland had the odd counterattack, but Japan were unlucky not to add another goal or two, as several promising short-range shots were straight at the keeper. With eight minutes left, Gunnarson seemed to lose the script for a "friendly" match, and went in viciously with a two-footed studs-up challenge that might have caused serious injury to Yasuhito Endo, but fortunately the blow was absorbed by the shin guards, and Endo was able to resume play. Gunnarson was not as fortunate, as the ref sent him to the showers without further hesitation. That pretty much sealed Iceland's fate, and though Japan failed on a few late opportunities to extend the lead, they nevertheless claimed a deserved victory.

As Zico noted after the contest, the lapses on defence were certainly a cause for concern. However, most of these came in the second half, after Tsuboi went off. We can certainly hope that this cures Zico of any illusions about the potential pairing of Miyamoto and Nakazawa in the middle. Though either Nakazawa or Miyamoto offers a good balance for Tsuboi, the two as a pair are unable to offset one anothers' weaknesses. Kubo seems to be on the verge of a breakout, and if he can continue this streak into the Asian Cup, it will be good news for Japan. Apart from Kubo, the finishing left something to be desired, once again. But Japan did create a lot of good chances, and not all of the keepers they face in China will be as nimble (and as lucky) as Arason. Japan's match with England on Tuersday (Wednesday morning, Japan time) will be a more serious test, but at the moment it looks like Japan is on the right track as they prepare for a busy summer.

Below is the full roster for the European tour: