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'Unfinished business' Japan seeks revenge vs. France amid Nakata drama
YOKOHAMA (Reuters) -- Japan coach Philippe Troussier praised his side's tenacity on Thursday after the co-hosts had survived late pressure to defeat Australia 1-0 and reach the final of the Confederations Cup. AS Roma's Hidetoshi Nakata scored the winner from a direct free-kick two minutes before half-time, but Japan had to play with 10 men for most of the second half after striker Takayuki Suzuki was sent off for an off-the-ball incident in the 55th minute. Troussier said afterwards that he was confident his players would respond positively to the red card, which momentarily silenced a crowd of 47,525 at International Stadium Yokohama. "There was no need to say anything. We were lucky it was a forward, but the defense kept their balance and I could tell the players were still up for it," said the Frenchman. Troussier admitted that he preferred a Japan-France final at the same venue on Sunday. "We have some unfinished business with France. It is a good chance for us to get a little revenge," he said, referring to the March 25 friendly in Paris in which the world and European champions demolished his side 5-0. France defeated Brazil in Suwon in the other Confederations Cup semifinal later on Thursday. Meanwhile, Australia coach Frank Farina lamented his team's poor finishing in a match dominated more by the torrential rain than either of the two sides. "We had a lot of chances, especially in the first half, but we didn't take them. Japan did a good job sitting behind and playing us on the counter," he said. Farina said Australia had failed to press home their advantage following Suzuki's dismissal. "Sometimes it's difficult to play against 10 men, but the conditions were very difficult out there," he said. Troussier praised his side's defensive discipline, especially after losing the influential Ryuzo Morioka with injury in the 22nd minute. "The last 30 minutes was very tough, but we played very intelligently. This is a great achievement for Japan and a big step towards the World Cup," said Troussier. Nakata, the subject of media reports that he could return to Roma for the Serie A championship run-in before the final, said only that he would talk to Troussier before deciding. Nakata drama continues at Confederations Cup AS Roma midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata again proved his worth to Japan by scoring the winner in the co-hosts' 1-0 win over Australia in their Confederations Cup semifinal on Thursday. Nakata, wearing the captain's armband for the first time, gave Japan the lead two minutes before halftime with a 25-metre free-kick that slid through the Australian wall and eluded defender Kevin Muscat's outstretched leg. After the match Nakata spent a long time speaking to Japan coach Philippe Troussier, and told reporters that he was now reviewing his decision to return to Italy to play for Roma at the weekend. "It's important to play for both teams. I thought I wanted to go back to Rome, but now we have reached the final I want to talk with Troussier again before deciding," said Nakata. The tug-of-war between Japan and Serie A leaders Roma took a new twist on Wednesday when Nakata wrote on his official Web site that he wanted to play for his club against Napoli on Sunday, the same day as the Confederations Cup final. Nakata, the subject of transfer rumors linking him with a move to either Arsenal or Parma, was far and away the best player on view in a semifinal played in the first deluge of the rainy season. But despite carrying much of the attacking burden after Takayuki Suzuki was sent off in the 55th minute for a lunge at Australian defender Tony Popovic, Nakata insisted Japan's success was down to teamwork. "The goal came at a good time, but the team worked hard for the win. This tournament is like a mini World Cup for us and getting to the final will give us a huge confidence boost," he said. Nakata, who has said that he wants to stay at Roma, said: "I'm still a Roma player, so I haven't even thought about a move. As for Arsenal or Parma, I don't know much about either team," he added. Asked how he felt about being made Japan captain, Nakata joked: "All I really felt was that the armband kept slipping down, which was kind of annoying."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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