Who’s feeling lucky today? Uruguay vs. Netherlands. Who wants to win 400 EXP? (more…)

Takeshi Okada has finished his second stint as Japan’s head coach, but and despite a tumultuous reign he has finished on a high. But Okada came into his second World Cup as a figure of ridicule in Japan, for his team’s pitiful form, and globally, for his semi-final prediction. After the East Asian Championships in February, where Japan finished behind China and South Korea, the calls for O..

Well the first confirmed retiree from the Blue Samurai is Shunsuke Nakamura. He had the following to say today… “My next Japan game? There won’t be one. I wanted to leave some mark on this World Cup, but it just wasn’t meant to be for me. “It’s weird. It’s as if the football gods are testing me. It has been really hard for me to warm the bench for Japan’s national side. Me and ..

After a difficult second round of matches for the Asian teams, things came rather good in the final round, culminating in two teams going through and two going home. North Korea were already eliminated of course, and finished up with a 3-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast. Things have petered out somewhat for the Chollima since their magnificent opening performance against Brazil and they finish up w..

A few more reflections on yesterday’s match… Takeshi Okada… “I’m disappointed. I hoped we would score so it is a real shame. I don’t know what the outcome of the next game (between Cameroon and Denmark) will be. We just have to try and win our game against Denmark. My players tried ever so hard all over the pitch.” “Our players tried everything they could, but we’ve been una..

Japan went into this match with an unchanged side, which meant Keisuke Honda as the lone man up front again, and a very defensive formation. Japan were set up to play for a point and frustrated the Dutch throughout the first half. The first half possession was overwhelmingly in favour of the Dutch, but in the first 45 minutes Eiji Kawashima was not threatened once so you could say the stifling ..