Switzerland beats Japan 2-0 pre-World Cup friendly

It's not looking good for the Samurai Blue, unfortunately. Many of the players are so far into their 30s the team's being called Ossan Japan by some wags. Nishino should have bitten the bullet and named a squad for the future; instead he simply chose to stick with nenko joretsu and is now going to pay the price.

Not looking such a great idea to fire the coach now is it

A Japanese friend of mine claimed that several older members of the squad were selected because of pressure from their sponsors. In other words, corporations are picking the team.

I can't confirm this, but was wondering if anyone else has heard about this?

Not looking such a great idea to fire the coach now is it

Oh they're going to blame him for their defeat. The new coach is good but he didn't have enough time to fix the problems created by the previous coach, is what they're going to say.

It will be very difficult for Japan to make the Quarter Final most Japanese hoped for.

I haven’t met one Japanese person who knows anything about football who expected them to reach the last 8. The best Japanese side in my lifetime ( 2010 World Cup ) didn’t manage that.

Some are saying he should go for youth but to be honest, there isn’t a wealth of young talent to select.

That's what the JFA deserves after bowing to the demands of sponsors. Nishino is way out of his depth. I fear a battering when Japan and Colombia meet at the World Cup. If only he chose players over form rather than experience, then things might look a little better.

I am really disappointed in the team. Usually I go to sports bar to cheer Samurai Blue in World Cups, but not this time. Where is the famous fighting spirit.It will be very difficult for Japan to make the Quarter Final most Japanese hoped for.

A Japanese friend of mine claimed that several older members of the squad were selected because of pressure from their sponsors.

In case it were true, I have to say that those sponsors and Japan as a nation deserve to fail as they did not put national interest first. I personally could not see any problem with the sacked head coach Vahid Halilhodžić. Under his coaching, the two young stars Takuma Asano and Yosuke Ideguchi were given a chance to play and scored against the Socceroos. Was it because the way in which Halilhodžić did not pick the old veterans (e.g. Honda and Okazaki...) that he was replaced by Nishino?

ClippetyClop - I've not heard anything but when matches are shown, the camera shots are heavily biased toward Honda with lots of close ups of him. I suspect that's also pressure from sponsors.

How can Japan defeat a FIFA world ranking 6th, draw the match was a at most result. No pain no gain is too early to Japan confront in a week higher ranking to compete, draw, draw and let's see a miracle. All those higher ranking countries don't want to lose a match to a lower rank. But, Honda serious stated he is play to Japan be world champion (!?). Without him maybe was better to go higher, a younger player wasn't selected to this team. I only cross my fingers to Kagawa, he the one veteran who can create miracle.

The new scapegoat, sorry, I mean manager, will get the blame. Then after they leave at the group stage he'll get the elbow and they'll get another foriegn manager who will also be stimied by a too old squad and not enough decent young players coming through, not to mention the JFA kow-towing to the sponsors. Really, they need to start again with the national team by nurturing players at the grassroot level.

Well, the newmanager knows from the previous managets treatment that he'll get shafted if he doesnt choose honda and the other ojisans.

LOL. This story was buried so low in the sports section behind ping pong.

Here is my fair forecast.,

Colombia 3 Japan 0

Poland 5 Japan 2

Senegal 1 Japan 0

Very strange article too. You'd think that a report on a Japan news website would have some discussion of the form of the Japanese team, instead it was all about the Swiss striker.

So actually it was a 1-0 loss, nobody here saw the match or...

How can Japan defeat a FIFA world ranking 6th, draw the match was a at most result

have no clue about the game and football in general :)