Japan vs Russia Official Match Thread
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World Cup Preview: Japan-Russia
Japan - Russia | News Archive
Nakata and Ono are expected to rise to the occasion (Allsport)
06/08/2002. BACKGROUND
Japan's World Cup campaign faces another European test as they are set to battle Russia on Sunday afternoon. The co-hosts sent mixed signals in their World Cup opener against Belgium that ended in a 2-2 draw. Until Sukuki's equalizer, that was born out of a huge blunder on behalf of the Belgian defense, Japan looked confused and extremely weak in every sector of the pitch. But the lucky equalizer allowed the side coached by Philippe Troussier to show their other face, made of up enormous heart and a good level of technical play. This time Japan must try to show this façade for more than twenty minutes of the match, as Russia appear to be an even tougher side compared to the injury-torn Belgians. That is if one doesn't include the Tunisia match in this evaluation?br>
Oleg Romantsev's team did not convince at all during their 2-0 win against the nervous North African World Cup debutants. After a dismal first half, they took the lead thanks to an invention by Yegor Titov, and not surely through a very convincing game pattern. Reports from the Eastern European state indicate that spirits aren't that high in the Russian squad. The Russian media's frequent attacks directed towards coach Romantsev are greatly hurting the teams confidence. But a win against Japan would immediately silence the team's critics, as it would allow Group B's first placed team to book their ticket to the second round a game in advance.
TEAM NEWS
Troussier is expected to field the same side that snatched a 2-2 draw against Belgium. This means Ono, who played a horrific opening match, Hidetoshi Nakata, and new sensastion Junichi Inamoto will all be present on the five man midfield line. Some changes are instead expected in the Russian lineup. Romantsev told reporters he wasn't at all happy with his team's performance against Tunisia, and hitman Vladimir Beschastnykh might fall victim to his coach's wrath. Injured team leader Alexander Mostovoi will perform a fitness test before the match, but he will probably be rested again in favour of Marat Izmailov.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Japan (3-5-2): Seigo Narazaki; Naoki Matsuda, Ryuzo Morioka, Koji Nakata; -Daisuke Ichikawa, Junichi Inamoto, Kazuyuki Toda, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shinji Ono; Takayuki Suzuki, Atsushi Yanagisawa
Russia (3-5-2): Ruslan Nigmatullin; Yuri Kovtun, Yuri Nikiforov, Viktor Onopko; Andrei Solomatin, Valery Karpin, Yegor Titov, Marat Izmailov, Dmitry Kokhlov; Vladimir Beschastnykh ( Dmitry Sychev), Ruslan Pimenov
FORM GUIDE
Japan (FIFA Ranking 32)
Japan-Belgium: 2-2 Overall Team Performance: 6/10
Russia (FIFA Ranking 27)
Russia-Tunisa: 2-0 Overall Team Performance: 5,5/10
WHO'S HOT
Inamoto (Japan)- The relatively unknown Arsenal midfielder made global headlines after his team's opening draw. He carried the entire midfield on his shoulders, and also scored a Mardaona-like the goal that was unfairly disallowed.
Titov (Russia)-His 20 meter blast that handed Russia the lead against Tunisia saved his team from disaster.
WHO'S NOT
Japan stars Ono and Nakata were very disappointing against Belgium. The Feyenoord player was so inexistent that Troussier took him off the pitch after only 60 mintues, while the Parma midfielder failed to do anything that could live up to his superstar status. The former AS Roma player will especially need to perform some magic, as only in this manner will he prove there isn't an underground row going on between him and his French coach.
Ismailov-Mostovoi's replacement did not make his mark in the Tunisia match, and this was a major reason why the Russian game pattern was slow and predictable. His past year at Locomotiv demonstrated he has the talent to do much better.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
These two teams never met before in official matches.
soccerage
Japan - Russia | News Archive
Nakata and Ono are expected to rise to the occasion (Allsport)
06/08/2002. BACKGROUND
Japan's World Cup campaign faces another European test as they are set to battle Russia on Sunday afternoon. The co-hosts sent mixed signals in their World Cup opener against Belgium that ended in a 2-2 draw. Until Sukuki's equalizer, that was born out of a huge blunder on behalf of the Belgian defense, Japan looked confused and extremely weak in every sector of the pitch. But the lucky equalizer allowed the side coached by Philippe Troussier to show their other face, made of up enormous heart and a good level of technical play. This time Japan must try to show this façade for more than twenty minutes of the match, as Russia appear to be an even tougher side compared to the injury-torn Belgians. That is if one doesn't include the Tunisia match in this evaluation?br>
Oleg Romantsev's team did not convince at all during their 2-0 win against the nervous North African World Cup debutants. After a dismal first half, they took the lead thanks to an invention by Yegor Titov, and not surely through a very convincing game pattern. Reports from the Eastern European state indicate that spirits aren't that high in the Russian squad. The Russian media's frequent attacks directed towards coach Romantsev are greatly hurting the teams confidence. But a win against Japan would immediately silence the team's critics, as it would allow Group B's first placed team to book their ticket to the second round a game in advance.
TEAM NEWS
Troussier is expected to field the same side that snatched a 2-2 draw against Belgium. This means Ono, who played a horrific opening match, Hidetoshi Nakata, and new sensastion Junichi Inamoto will all be present on the five man midfield line. Some changes are instead expected in the Russian lineup. Romantsev told reporters he wasn't at all happy with his team's performance against Tunisia, and hitman Vladimir Beschastnykh might fall victim to his coach's wrath. Injured team leader Alexander Mostovoi will perform a fitness test before the match, but he will probably be rested again in favour of Marat Izmailov.
PROBABLE LINEUPS
Japan (3-5-2): Seigo Narazaki; Naoki Matsuda, Ryuzo Morioka, Koji Nakata; -Daisuke Ichikawa, Junichi Inamoto, Kazuyuki Toda, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shinji Ono; Takayuki Suzuki, Atsushi Yanagisawa
Russia (3-5-2): Ruslan Nigmatullin; Yuri Kovtun, Yuri Nikiforov, Viktor Onopko; Andrei Solomatin, Valery Karpin, Yegor Titov, Marat Izmailov, Dmitry Kokhlov; Vladimir Beschastnykh ( Dmitry Sychev), Ruslan Pimenov
FORM GUIDE
Japan (FIFA Ranking 32)
Japan-Belgium: 2-2 Overall Team Performance: 6/10
Russia (FIFA Ranking 27)
Russia-Tunisa: 2-0 Overall Team Performance: 5,5/10
WHO'S HOT
Inamoto (Japan)- The relatively unknown Arsenal midfielder made global headlines after his team's opening draw. He carried the entire midfield on his shoulders, and also scored a Mardaona-like the goal that was unfairly disallowed.
Titov (Russia)-His 20 meter blast that handed Russia the lead against Tunisia saved his team from disaster.
WHO'S NOT
Japan stars Ono and Nakata were very disappointing against Belgium. The Feyenoord player was so inexistent that Troussier took him off the pitch after only 60 mintues, while the Parma midfielder failed to do anything that could live up to his superstar status. The former AS Roma player will especially need to perform some magic, as only in this manner will he prove there isn't an underground row going on between him and his French coach.
Ismailov-Mostovoi's replacement did not make his mark in the Tunisia match, and this was a major reason why the Russian game pattern was slow and predictable. His past year at Locomotiv demonstrated he has the talent to do much better.
PREVIOUS ENCOUNTERS
These two teams never met before in official matches.
soccerage
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Match About to Start
Lineups:
Lineups:
Code:
[b]Japan[/b]
12. Seigo Narazaki
3. Naoki Matsuda
16. Koji Nakata
17. Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
5. Junichi Inamoto
7. Hidetoshi Nakata
18. Shinji Ono
20. Tomokazu Myojin
21. Kazuyuki Toda
11. Takayuki Suzuki
13. Atsushi Yanagisawa
Code:
[b]Russia[/b]
1. Ruslan Nigmatullin
2. Yuri Kovtun
3. Yury Nikiforov
5. Andrey Solomatin
7. Viktor Onopko
4. Alexei Smertin
6. Igor Semshov
8. Valery Karpin
9. Yegor Titov
20. Marat Izmailov
19. Ruslan Pimenov
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50 Mins
GOAL GOAL GOAL!! Japan! Inamoto
Japan 1 Russia 0
GOAL GOAL GOAL!! Japan! Inamoto
Japan 1 Russia 0
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Japan win 1-0!!!
An historic result for Japan as it's their first ever win at the WC! I thought they played a great game except that they sat back and defended their lead too much at the end. I thought it would cost them as Russia really pressed but they held on and full credit for the 3 points!!
Last game against Tunisia and if they can win that, they'll have 5 points and that should see them through to the second round!
An historic result for Japan as it's their first ever win at the WC! I thought they played a great game except that they sat back and defended their lead too much at the end. I thought it would cost them as Russia really pressed but they held on and full credit for the 3 points!!
Last game against Tunisia and if they can win that, they'll have 5 points and that should see them through to the second round!
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7 pointsIVO said:
Congrats to Japan on their 1st ever win a world cup!
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Congratulations to Japan.
Nakata had a cannonball 30-yards shot which beat the keeper but hit the bar. Had it in, it would had been one of the best goal on this WC.
Inamoto play like the second coming of Johan Neeskens! Would he still head for PSV?
At the end, the Japanese defence play extremely well.
Nakata had a cannonball 30-yards shot which beat the keeper but hit the bar. Had it in, it would had been one of the best goal on this WC.
Inamoto play like the second coming of Johan Neeskens
! Would he still head for PSV?At the end, the Japanese defence play extremely well.
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I am not too satisfied with how the ref's performance.
Russia should have been awarded a penalty late into the 1st half, when Toda pushed his opponent and about the goal, if I am not wrong, Inamoto was rather in an offside position and also the other player at the far end.
Well, nevertheless, Japan got its victory. Well done :happy:
Last thing, what is that thing on Miyamoto's face? Is he a ninja or something?
Russia should have been awarded a penalty late into the 1st half, when Toda pushed his opponent and about the goal, if I am not wrong, Inamoto was rather in an offside position and also the other player at the far end.
Well, nevertheless, Japan got its victory. Well done :happy:
Last thing, what is that thing on Miyamoto's face? Is he a ninja or something?
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Great great great!
I am really happy for Japan, a great result for them and Asian football! :happy:
Inamoto has been brilliant. Simply astonishing.
I am really happy for Japan, a great result for them and Asian football! :happy:
Inamoto has been brilliant. Simply astonishing.
Grrrrr!!!
Japan deserved to win this match, no doubt about it. But.
But I hate, hate, hate, it when a team gets away with a dirty foul like they did against Russia at the end of the first half. How the ref didn't see Semshov get dragged, held, and finally wrestled to the ground by Toda is beyond me. I hope they send him home for that.
Marco Golo, if Nakata had scored on that long shot, that would have been THE goal of the tournament so far. Absolutely magnificent strike. Inamato was not offside, as far as I could see from the replay. He was man of the match again, IMO.
Japan deserved to win this match, no doubt about it. But.
But I hate, hate, hate, it when a team gets away with a dirty foul like they did against Russia at the end of the first half. How the ref didn't see Semshov get dragged, held, and finally wrestled to the ground by Toda is beyond me. I hope they send him home for that.
Marco Golo, if Nakata had scored on that long shot, that would have been THE goal of the tournament so far. Absolutely magnificent strike. Inamato was not offside, as far as I could see from the replay. He was man of the match again, IMO.
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Oh no, it finally happen...Magic#10 said:
To be fair to the Russian team, they play some neat passing game but fail to convert the goal scoring chances.
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