2009.09.05
Netherlands 3. Japan 0. in Enschede, Friendly International A Match

FA is frustrated as well? "Japan loses out to Netherlands, giving three goals in the second half. Both tie by 0-0 in the first half..." (from jfa.or.jp)

World Cup qualified Japan got a chance to tour in Netherlands. Netherlands selected big names for this match. It is the first match for two nations.

The match is interesting that clarified Japan's position and problems. From the kick off to 20-25 minutes in the first half, Japan shoot five times and Netherlands no. Japan gave no scoring chance to Netherlands in the first half. The body contact could be comparable with Netherlands. The speed of passes is enough. High position defense worked. But the last phase of the offense, they lack something to score a goal as they have done before. We need the finisher. And again in the second half, Japan seemed to go out of gas. It made midfield looser and chances for Japan disappeared.

Japan learned that the play of first half can good enough, also understood that we were very far from goals. Mr. Okada's direction of pass football is not wrong I think, but the poor finishing approach gives no advance from the last World Cup.

Netherlands: Michael Vorm (Piet Velthuizen, ht);
Gregory van der Wiel, Glenn Loovens, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst;
David Mendes da Silva (Demy de Zeeuw, 64), Nigel de Jong, Wesley Sneijder;
Arjen Robben (Eljero Elia, ht), Dirk Kuyt (Klaas Jan Huntelaar, 64),Robin van Persie

Japan: Eiji Kawashima;
Atsuto Uchida, Yuji Nakazawa, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Yuto Nagatomo;
Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe, Shunsuke Nakamura, Kengo Nakamura (Shinzo Koroki, 70), Shinji Okazaki;
Keiji Tamada (Keisuke Honda, ht)


Goals Robin van Persie (69), Wesley Sneijder (73), Klaas Jan Huntelaar (87)