Japan tests Brazil’s Samba

By EMMA NJOKU

The attention of football fans across the world will shift to Brazil today as the FIFA 2013 Confederations Cup gets underway with host, Brazil, taking on Japan in the opening match inside the newly constructed 70,042 capacity Estadio Nacional Stadium in the city of Brasilia.

Japan goes into the tournament with confidence, having recently booked a place in next year’s World Cup in Brazil thanks to her five wins in eight games in the final qualifying round in Asia. Brazil qualified automatically for the Mundial as host. Both sides, therefore, will use the Confederations Cup tournament to fine-tune their squads ahead of the global party next year.

Brazil and Japan have met nine times in previously events, with the most recent being last October in Poland, where Brazil won 4-0 courtesy of a brace from Neymar, with Paulinho and Kaka accounting for the other two goals. Japan has yet to beat Brazil, having lost seven times and drawn twice with the South American nation. The Asian champion will, therefore, attempt to record its first victory against Brazil today. But if statistics is anything to go by, then Japan has little chance against the five times world champion, which would be playing in front of its ever demanding teeming supporters today. But football, they say, is not mathematics, which is why Japan could shock the host today to post one of the biggest upsets in the tournament.

Brazil, which has dominated the top spot on FIFA World rankings for many years, is currently on the 22nd rung, suggesting that all is not well with the Samba nation.

Japan is currently rated 32nd. The reigning Asian champion broke new grounds with its tenacity at the last World Cup in South Africa.  The youthful side has continued its progress under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni, who took over from Takeshi Okada after the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

The 1-0 defeat of a full strength Argentina was the height of the team’s series of impressive friendly matches followed by its all-conquering performance during January’s AFC Asian Cup, where it pipped Australia in the final to claim its fourth continental title. Japan’s game has long been marked by its creative play and silky passes. It also got its boost in its continental success as Zaccheroni began to test his trademark 3-4-3 tactical system in the recent Kirin Cup.

“The Confederations Cup will be difficult, but that’s what we want. There are quality teams in the tournament and that is why we want to use the competition as a dress rehearsal for the 2014 World Cup,” remarked Zaccheroni.

The player to watch in the Japanese side is CSKA Moscow midfielder, Keisuke Honda, who has quickly established his place as the team’s new leader, filling the void left by Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura. Spearheading the attack are Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki, who finished the continental finals as the team’s top scorer with three goals. Alongside Honda, is set-piece specialist, Yasuhito Endo, while Schalke 04 defender, Atsuto Uchida, is the key man at the rearguard. Interestingly, Coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is slowly, but steadily bringing his influence to bear, with Brazil’s hard work on the training ground beginning to pay off as shown in her recent 2-2 draw with England and the comprehensive 3-0 defeat of France. Scolari will count on the experience of goalkeeper Julio Ceasar and Barcelona defence ace, Danny Alves, the only two survivors from Brazil’s squad to the last FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa in 2009, for stability in the rear, while the youthful trio of Neymar, Santos and Hulk are expected to lead the attack for the A Selecao.