[Il Lupo]

I was just curious if anybody knows whats going on with him.
Whats he doing?
Is in back in Japan?
He recently updated his website and said he was going to disappear for a while and he has done a very good job of it,at least away from the italian press.
I don't know about Japan though.
Cause they he has certainly been involved with some of the transfer news lately and was just curious if he had anything to say about it.
Also,all of our extratime Roma fans from japan haven't been showing up lately!!
Guys where are u????

 

[London Bhoy]

There was a story linking Nakata to Man Utd over here but there is no picture od him looking for houses in Cheshire just yet.

 

[Nakata7]

Nakata

Well after the season ended, Nakata joined the Japan National team on a tournament which played against France and Jamaica. Believe it or not Japan tied France 2-2 in regulation, but lost on PK. He was close from scoaring a header during this game. On his web page he talked about how France's marking and pressing wasn't that great, and he was thinking that since the game was before Euro 2000, France was not playing at their best during the first half. He marveled about Zidane's playing and the French players ball touch.

After the France game, Japan played Jamaica and beat them 4-0. He even had an assist during this game. It was a nice payback since Japan lost to Jamaica during 98 world cup.

After these games he took some time off and flew back to Japan. He was in Japan for a medical test for possible member for Sydney Olympic team. Japan is the same group with Brazil and he's been looking forward to beat them again.(last olympic Nakata was on the team which beat Brazil). So there is a possiblity that if Nakata plays for Japan during the olympics, he will miss some pre season training with Roma. I'm hoping that he won't play in the olympics so he can train with Roma and the new teammates. It's far more important for him and Roma.

During the stay in Japan, he has gone under some minor surgery on his thigh. He was supposedly bitten by some bug during the above mentioned tournament. It seems like this surgery was very minor and it would not cause anything to his playing.

Anyways, in Japan there are still rumours about his possible transfer and with a possiblity of Fiore being mentioned on Roma's purchasing list, the Japanese media are speculating from transfer, loan and on the bench. At this point I think he is staying with Roma as he's been quoted on his web page.

I hope this helped you people
cheers,

 

[romAntics]

Good! I'm glad to hear that he's healthy and likely going to stay at Roma. Although he had what I'm sure he'd consider a far-from-stellar rookie season in the serie a, nakata is (from what i've seen of him in the japan league) a true talent and as gifted a jugador a team could hope for. I hope he sticks it out for a while longer and adapts to the italian game...he should be a tremendous asset to a team growing deeper by the day.

 

[Inter Juve Fanatic]

Nakata at Roma wasnt his rookie season. He played one season with Perugia before going to Roma midway through his second season.

 

[Nakata7]

As Inter Juve Fanatic said, this was his second season. His rookie season at Perugia was spectacular. He scored 10 goals including a superb overhead kick goal against Piacenza, but probably the most shocking goals were his first ever game in Serie A, he scored two goals against Juve, I think that shocked everybody. After that first game he was being quoted that it didn't matter cause Perugia lost that game.

Anyways, now at Roma he is being put in a defensive midfield position as well as a sub for Totti. It's a different situation for him.


cheers

 

[Inter Juve Fanatic]

Nakata7 do you know anything about the Korean and Chinese guys that are supposed to be going to Perugia?

 

[TAZZ]

Hide is a great great talent and shouldn't sit on the bench unless you have to chose between him and Totti.

France have proven that you can indeed play with two attacking midfielders just play one as an inside winger left/right and it can work easily.

Nakata is out of this world and can play inside right alongside Assunscao and Emerson. With three tough tackling midfielders Roma can alow Totti all the space he needs to feed Montella and Batigol.

FORZA INTER!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Nakata7]

iTazz,

You have a good point there, but I think one thing France lacked against Portugal was attacks from both wings. Fortunately Zidane played a great game, but I thought the ball was played too much in the middle. Even when Portugal was leading the game, France kept feeding the ball in the middle and for awhile I thought Portugal was going to win. Anyways, Roma has Cafu and Candela which are excelent in the wing position so I think it's a bit natural that Roma will keep playing the same way. I'd like to see Totti and batigol as forwards and Nakata as an attacking midfielder with Assuncao and Emerson in the midfield but I think it's not going to happen. With all the talent Roma has this season, I hope they will be a contender, even though I keep thinking about team chemestry. I mean Inter had some great talent in the past two years but they really haven't lived up to the potential so I just hope that everything will click in favor for Roma.


Cheers,

InterJuve fanatic, I've heard about those transfers and I think the Korean forward(I forgot his name), might have some potential. I think it's good to see more asian players coming abroad.

 

[Loose Moose]

if totti plays up front with batistuta
where does delvecchio and montella fit in??
roma has a very good team now
next season with some luck should be challenging for championship
or at least CL place

 

[Filip]

Inter wants Montella......

 

[Inter Juve Fanatic]

I agree that more asians should go abroad, because I'm asian.

 

[TAZZ]

Great to see

Personally for me its great to see the game becoing more global.

One superb talent from Asia who is arguably better than Nakata is Jo. He though has that knee problem. But he has mad skills.

France lack very very attacking wing backs.

Look at Thuram and Lizarazu compared to Cafu and Candela. More attack and with Nakata adding some silk to a three man defencive midfield in Assunsca Emersona and Hide i can see very good things in Roma's future.

p.s. Montella is not needed by my INTER we have Mutu and Zamorano who though they are not as good as Montella actually want to play for INTER.

 

[Nakata7]

Jo

iTazz,

yeah Jo is a good player but I think Nakata is far more accomplished than Jo. Jo is a forward so I think he is under more pressure to do his job(goal scoring). Personally I think Nakata is more physically fit and stronger... Jo is currently out of a contract and I'm not sure what team he will play in Spain.(same with Nanami who is looking to play in Spain) His knee injury was not as serious as it was reported, he has been playing without a ligament in his knee.(Jo apparently tore it years ago, and he didn't get a surgery to get it fixed) By the way, I think Nishizawa is another up coming forward that some European teams are looking at(Spain and France). He scored a superb one time volley goal against France. He is a little bit bigger and stronger than Jo.

Anyways, I'm excited about next season.

cheers,

 

[Zidanely]

One of the brightest future prospect in Asia is SHINJI ONO

he WILL be better than Nakata, and people will agree with me if they have seen Ono's performance in the Youth World Cup.

Another player understated is MISAKIYO MAEZONO, this guy plays at Santos in Brazil (if he is still there) and he has MAD ball skills and deadly passing.

 

[Loose Moose]

yeah!
ono
i was about to ask about him
are any big euro teams interested in him?

 

[Morn]

I have never seen Shinji Ono play, but have heard lots of good about him, what position does he play, I know its somewhere in midfield, is he a midfielder, attacking midfielder?.

Ever since seeing Nakata in the World Cup, and seeing a program about the World Cup before it was on here in England, I thought what an exllecent player, and as i was just really getting to like Italian Football, I thought it was class that he signed for Perugia.

We only get one Italian game a week here live, and the Perugia - Juventus game kicked off the coverage.

Nakata was class in that match, he scored two goals which he took supburely well, I heard that the manager nearly got sacked cuase he did not let Nakata take a pen, which would have got him a hat trick, was this true?.

His overhead kick was CLASS, his free kick for Perugia in second season was good as well, did Perugia ever score a goal which Hide was not involved in, does anyone know how man assists Hide got for Perugia?.

Was it also true that Nakata said Japan's World Cup 98 was all about him?.

 

[Nakata7]

Zidanely,

Maezono plays in J2 now. He plays for Bellmare where Nakata used to play until he moved to Perugia. Nakata.net is a sponser for Bellmare. Maezono was close from playing in Portugal or Greece but these transfer talks have died down.

As for Ono, there are no current talks of him moving abroad. Before his serious injury there were talks of Roma, Bologna, Arsenal, Man Utd and Ajax taking an interest in him. So I think everyone is looking for him to fully recover. He has been playing, but I think the Olympics would be the test for him. Oh yeah by the way, Ono plays AM same with Hide. I think Nakamura, Hide, Ono, Maezono, all plays AM.

I forgot to mention another player, I'm not sure what his name was, I think Tamono and he's only 16. He's playing in A. Madrid's youth program with much success. A. Madrid has even signed a contract with him so no other teams can lure him away at this moment.

well cheers to ya,

PS I wish there was a board for Asian Players here.
Oh yeah, now Japanese media are reporting that Inter and AC are interested in Hide again. With Inter willing to swap Seedorf(who played under Capello in Spain), and AC Milan as a backup plan if they cannot get Rui Costa. However it did report that Nakata's intention to stay with Roma.

 

[Il Lupo]

If Sensi makes that swap,Nakata-Seedorf,this could really burn us.Because i like Nakata's character and spirit as a player.
We need him,and him leaving could be a huge mistake.

 

[mark wong]

undoubtedly, nakata is much better than seedorf. besides, to the point of view of business, nakata is still much worth than seedorf since japanese is richer and they are crazy for purchasing their favourite.