PRESS RELEASE

THAILAND 5s

Japan raring to go……………

(Bangkok, 5 Nov 03)
These are heady times for Japanese Futsal after their recent impressive performances at the KL World 5s, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Championships in Iran and most recently at the Pyramid Cup in Egypt.

The latter event was where Japan impressed most and finished with an outstanding 5-3 win over European giants, Belgium. Finishing behind the likes of Brazil, Argentina, Egypt and Ukraine is no shame for an Asian nation that is possibly one of the fastest emerging teams in the world today in Futsal.

Thanks in large part to their early exposure to the game, courtesy of Brazil and its coaches who plied their trade in Japan.

Coach Michito Harada, himself a trainee of the Brazilian ways in the game of Futsal has seen his troops improve over the last three years since he took over the team.

At the KL World 5s, he commented: “Japanese players have the ability to excel in the game. It seems like it is a natural thing for us but that does not mean that we do not need to train. But I have seen the development over the last three or four years and I like what I see.

“We have a long way to go but the gap between us and the best countries like Brazil, Argentina, Italy and Spain is slowly getting narrower. With more competitions and exposure, Japan will be able to take on any team and put up a good fight.”

He added: “At the moment, there are many teams in Asia aside from Japan and Iran who have also improved much. Thailand is a good example of this. Malaysia is also getting better. Both of them have foreign coaches and this will make them better. So our work to stay at the top will get harder and harder.”

As much as things may get harder for him and his side to keep reaching for the top, the man from Hokkaido will surely have relished the win over Belgium as it once again signaled the rapid progress his team is making under his tutelage.

The Pyramid Cup also saw Japan put up sterling displays against Ukraine and Argentina and despite losses the showing has earned positive reviews for the Far Easterners.

Next stop for the Japanese is this month’s Thailand 5s.

Featuring a strong line-up of Brazil, Russia, Thailand and themselves, the Japanese will again have to be at their best.

They have yet to record a win against the Canarinhos; have never played against the marauding Russians and are 4-1 up against the Thais in recent meetings.
Thailand came very close to defeating them at the semi-final stage of the AFC Championship in Iran earlier this year and only a golden goal penalty from Yoshifumi Maeda helped them through.

The Thais on home ground will certainly prove to be a difficult opponent and while a win against Brazil is unimaginable, the match against Russia will be the acid test to see how Japan rate against quality European opposition. A good result will re-affirm their growing reputation in Europe.

Coach Harada has so far kept his cards closest to his chest but his provisional twenty-man squad does see some new faces. And one of those is former J-League football star, Shinnosuke Kamimura.

Sources at the Japan Football Association have confirmed that Kamimura has looked very sharp and impressive in recent times and that he was one of the revelations at the Pyramid Cup. Another new face that might be heading to Thailand is FC Ryuuku’s Brazilian-born Ricardo Higa.

The 30-year old is a master craftsman in Futsal with some amazing ability and will surely cherish playing here against his idols, Brazil, if selected in the squad.

Together with experienced heads, Kiyoshi Sagane (formerly in Lazio in Italy), Maeda (Brazil), captain Takaaki Ichihara, Kenta Fujii, Yuki Kanayama and Kenichiro Kogure, Japan does seem to have several players capable of taking them all the way to the final here in Bangkok two weeks from now.

Another face that should be in the travelling party and a face to watch out for is the sturdy and strong Osamu Nambata at pivot position. Watch out for his trademark hold-offs and laying on for others to hammer home.

By all accounts Japan do look like a team that are raring to go, hungry to leave their mark once again in the Futsal annals. Undoubtedly, the Japanese will be an attraction for their flair, tenacity and colourful display that has become much of their hallmark wherever they play. Expect nothing but yet another determined show of great Futsal ability when they step on court at the Thailand 5s.