Familiar territory

Keeper Kawaguchi aims to bounce back at finals

TOKYO (AP) -- Unaccustomed to the language, the lifestyle and the change of pace, World Cup-bound Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi struggled in the English first division this season.

He became the first professional Japanese goalkeeper in British soccer when he signed for Portsmouth last October. But his transition from the J-League wasn't smooth and he was dropped after conceding 25 goals in 12 games.

Now Japan's No. 1 'keeper is in limbo. He's under contract with Portsmouth but is unlikely to see any more action. Japanese fans are hoping that being back in familiar territory will restore his confidence for the World Cup.

Kawaguchi will be hoping some sparkling performances will relaunch his career.

After taking over as Japan coach in 1998, Frenchman Philippe Troussier encouraged his players to go to Europe to gain valuable experience and confidence.

Japan teammate Hidetoshi Nakata was an instant success in Italy's Serie A and Shinji Ono has worked in at Dutch premier-division side Feyenoord, but the game plan backfired for Kawaguchi.

Many of Kawaguchi's problems with Portsmouth stemmed from his inability to communicate with his teammates -- a problem he won't face during the May 31-June 30 World Cup where Japan faces Belgium, Russia and Tunisia in the first round.

Another problem for Kawaguchi in England was his lack of size. At 1.80 meters (5-foot-11), he had a tough time adapting to the more physical style of play.

Kawaguchi was in goal when Japan made its World Cup debut four years ago in France, where it lost to Argentina, Croatia and Jamaica under coach Takeshi Okada.

He's anchored Japan's defense since then and is expected to be Troussier's top pick when Japan opens its campaign June 4 against Belgium.

But the concern for Troussier and Japan is that Kawaguchi's confidence has been shattered in England.

He was brilliant in the Confederations Cup last June, when Japan lost 1-0 to world champion France in the final. He was voted the tournament's top goalkeeper by a team of FIFA observers.

Kawaguchi says he wants to keep playing in Europe and is still training with Portsmouth and studying English at a local university.

 

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