RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Japan Put South Africa Stalemate Down To Valuable World Cup Experience
No goals but it was far from a wasted trip...
|
Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
Nov 16, 2009 12:25:32 AM
Japan coach Takeshi Okada may have wanted a win in South
Africa on Saturday but he was happy with the test that his players received.
The Blue Samurai drew 0-0 with the 2010 World Cup hosts in Port Elizabeth in a game that they probably should have won.
Japan created a few chances in a flat game but were unable to make their possession count.
"In the first half we couldn't really play our style of soccer, but in the second period we started to move around and played at a faster pace, but the problem was that we didn't have enough team players today," Okada said after the match.
The long trip to South Africa’s south coast wasn’t wasted in the opinion of the man who took Japan to the 1998 World Cup.
"We are very disappointed that we could not win today, but it was a great experience that we gained and the atmosphere was great. I am glad we have gained this experience," he said.
"It was a privilege to play against a highly motivated team like South Africa and we appreciated the opportunity."
Japan return to Asia to face Hong Kong on Wednesday in their 2011 Asian Cup qualifier.
The Blue Samurai drew 0-0 with the 2010 World Cup hosts in Port Elizabeth in a game that they probably should have won.
Japan created a few chances in a flat game but were unable to make their possession count.
"In the first half we couldn't really play our style of soccer, but in the second period we started to move around and played at a faster pace, but the problem was that we didn't have enough team players today," Okada said after the match.
The long trip to South Africa’s south coast wasn’t wasted in the opinion of the man who took Japan to the 1998 World Cup.
"We are very disappointed that we could not win today, but it was a great experience that we gained and the atmosphere was great. I am glad we have gained this experience," he said.
"It was a privilege to play against a highly motivated team like South Africa and we appreciated the opportunity."
Japan return to Asia to face Hong Kong on Wednesday in their 2011 Asian Cup qualifier.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Advertisement
Inside Goal.Com
-
Capello remains one of the greats of the game
After tasting success wherever he had gone previously, the coach will look upon his time at Wembley as an incomplete job rather than a complete failure
-
Can Suarez repeat Cantona's grand comeback?
The divisive Uruguayan can look to history when he starts against United on Saturday for the first time since receiving an eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra
-
Key battles: Manchester United v Liverpool
The former Reds defender believes that the Uruguayan must put controversy to the back of his mind when his team face the champions
-
The importance of Champions League qualification
The Ruhr side's remarkable run in Europe's elite tournament saw their revenue unexpectedly soar last season, but some teams are structured to depend on such results to survive
-
Cartoon: Capello's managerial merry-go-round
Goal.com cartoonist Omar Momani gives us his unique take on the football news of the day ...
Advertisement
Advertisement
