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The Goal.com Asian Football Countdown To 2012: Japan

In the final edition of Goal.com's review of the year in Asian football, we look at regional champions Japan, a country that overcame immense tragedy to triumph at home and abroad

31-Dec-2011 2:34:00 PM

More On : , Cerezo Osaka, Gamba Osaka, Japan, Japan, Japan Under 23, Japan Women, Kashiwa Reysol, Nagoya Grampus, Shinji Kagawa, Atsuto Uchida, Ryo Miyaichi, Keisuke Honda, Yuto Nagatomo

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SPECIAL
By Dan Orlowitz & Cesare Polenghi

INTRODUCTION

2011 was a year of triumphs and tribulations for Japan as the nation united behind their football teams, both national and domestic, in the wake of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster.

Japanese teams performed outstandingly across the board, from the exciting J-League race to the triumphs of both the men's and women's national teams on the world stage.

NATIONAL TEAMS

The year started fortuitously for the men’s national team when the Samurai Blue were crowned Asian Champions after besting Australia in the Asian Cup. Italian tactician Alberto Zaccheroni kept the team on a 18-game undefeated streak. In November, Japan secured their advancement to the final round of World Cup qualifying.

Perhaps even more impressive was the women’s national team, affectionately known as Nadeshiko Japan. Led by superstar playmaker Homare Sawa, they became the world's number-one team in July after defeating the United States in the Women’s World Cup final. In the autumn, the Nadeshiko girls continued to prove their might on the international stage by securing a berth in the 2012 London Olympics. They finished the year ranked third by Fifa, their highest-ever placing.

DOMESTIC LEAGUES AND CUPS

The country’s top domestic competition, the J-League, had no shortage of excitement but struggled with a drop in attendance largely due to after-effects of the March 11 disaster, including a six-week delay plus additional rescheduling stemming from factors such as power conservation and stadium damage.

The shocker of the year was undoubtedly that of Kashiwa Reysol, who become the first J-League team ever to win the league in the year after earning promotion. Runners-up Nagoya Grampus and Gamba Osaka can still celebrate, as they will join Reysol in next year’s Asian Champions League.

The J-League Cup was won by Kashima Antlers after a hard-fought battle with Urawa Reds that ended 1-0 after extra-time. The Reds had little to smile about this season, falling to 16th place in the last round of play and joining Montedio Yamagata and Avispa Fukuoka in relegation to the second division.

Meanwhile, the strength of Japan's second division was made apparent as J2 champions FC Tokyo and seventh-placed Kyoto Sanga reached the Emperor's Cup final, to be played on New Year's Day. It is the first time that a J2 team, never mind two, have reached the final.

Disappointingly, Japanese teams in the ACL largely struggled. Antlers, Grampus, and Gamba were eliminated in the round of 16, while Cerezo Osaka lost to eventual runners-up Jeonbuk Motors in the quarterfinals.

PLAYERS ABROAD

It was a banner year for the number of Japanese players in Europe, albeit not the best statistically as many have struggled so far in the 2011-12 season. Four players earned silverware: Yuto Nagatomo (Inter), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Atsuto Uchida (Shalke 04), and Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow).

Notable moves mid-summer included Gamba Osaka starlet Takashi Usami, who joined Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Arsenal starlet Ryo Miyaichi also made his English debut in League Cup fixtures.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR | Yuto Nagatomo, Inter and national team

It's hard to comprehend that in just four years, Yuto Nagatomo has gone from being a college student at Meiji University to one of the most recognisable Japanese athletes in the world. But the full-back has become a media darling in both his home country and Italy, where he is a regular member of Inter's starting lineup and a fan favorite.

Nagatomo's speed on the flanks and aggressive attacking sensibilities often cause him to be mistaken for a winger (especially so after notching two goals and two assists in the last four matches of 2011), but make no mistake: defensively he is one of the best in his position worldwide, and can go head-to-head with just about any attacker in Europe. At just 25 years old, it's clear that the former FC Tokyo player has plenty of glory days ahead of him.

MOMENT OF THE YEAR | King Kazu scores in charity match

When the Japanese national team and an all-star J-League XI met in Osaka just weeks after the disaster, an entire nation watched hoping for catharsis. They found it in an entertaining display and, while the Samurai Blue may have triumphed 2-1, the biggest feel-good moment of the game came near the conclusion when 44-year-old Kazuyoshi ‘King Kazu’ Miura scored a goal of his own. At an age where most players have long since retired, Miura was a captain and regular starter at second-division team Yokohama FC.

WISHES FOR JAPANESE FOOTBALL IN 2012

As the J-League prepares to enter its third decade, there are many things fans can look forward to in the new year. Attendance should recover from this season, especially considering the banner year that Vegalta Sendai had despite the horrific effects of the disaster on the region.

Japanese players in Europe should also be able to shake off the second-season blues, and they will be joined by Mike Havenaar (Vitesse) and Gotou Sakai (Stuttgart).

While 2011 saw many challenges for Japanese soccer, the year was overall an incredibly uplifting and positive one; expect more good things in the year to come.