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Daring to dream Pieces falling into place for Troussier's JapanPosted: Thursday May 02, 2002 6:01 AMTOKYO (AP) -- An embarrassing 5-0 loss to world champion France sparked a change in attitude and direction for Philippe Troussier and his Japan soccer lineup. Less then three months later, the Japanese held world No. 2 Brazil to a tie and reached the final of the Confederations Cup, an eight-nation test run for the World Cup. With recent wins over Ukraine and Poland in World Cup tuneups and a 1-1 draw against three-time world champion Italy at home in November, Troussier's squad is shaping as a danger to soccer's elite. With European-based stars Hidetoshi Nakata of Parma and Shinji Ono of Feyenoord, Japan posted a convincing 2-0 win over Poland in March. Nakata scored the opening goal and Naohiro Takahara, who played with Boca Juniors earlier this season, sealed the win. Nakata's performance was especially reassuring to Japanese fans. Ever since the 25-year-old playmaker walked out on the national squad just before the final of last June's Confederations Cup, some, including French-born Troussier, have questioned Nakata's commitment. After scoring the only goal in Japan's 1-0 win over Australia in the Cup semifinal, Nakata elected to return to Italian first-division side AS Roma for a crucial late-season match. Even without Nakata, Japan lost 1-0 to France in the final, a major turnaround from their meeting three months earlier. In Lodz, there was no questioning Nakata's loyalty and he slotted in with his less famous teammates. The squad for the game against the Poles was considered by many to be the closest indication Troussier has given for his ultimate lineup for the May 31-June 30 World Cup finals. Among the prominent names not on the squad were veteran striker Masashi Nakayama, Jubilo Iwata teammate Toshiya Fujita and Yutaka Akita of Kashima Antlers. Brazilian-born winger Alessandro Santos, who obtained Japanese citizenship in August, was named and is expected to be a big part of Troussier's plans in June. Japan will face Belgium, Russia and Tunisia in the first round, a draw which many pundits consider favorable for the co-hosts. In their World Cup debut four years ago in France, Japan lost to Argentina, Croatia and Jamaica under coach Takeshi Okada. Okada was roundly criticized for being too soft on Japan's pampered players and the volatile Troussier was brought in to shake things up. With his abrasive style, Troussier has ruffled a few feathers in the Japan Football Association and was recently reprimanded by Japanese soccer officials for baring reporters from a practice ahead of the Ukraine friendly in Osaka last month. But after the win in Poland, the complaints have stopped. And confidence in Troussier remained high after Japan's 1-1 draw with Costa Rica in a friendly last month. Another major factor for Japan in the World Cup will be the play of goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. The veteran signed with English first-division side Portsmouth in October to become the first Japanese 'keeper to sign with a British club. But after conceding 25 goals in 12 games, Kawaguchi was benched and hasn't played for Portsmouth since. For Japan, though, he continues to impress. He was in goal against Poland and made several key saves in the second half. With his vocal, aggressive style of play, Kawaguchi is a favorite of Troussier's and is expected to be in goal when Japan opens its World Cup campaign on June 4 against Belgium. Like Kawaguchi, Arsenal midfielder Junichiro Inamoto has struggled in England's Premier League, but Troussier, who has encouraged Japan's players to sign with European teams, has no objection to both Kawaguchi and Inamoto remaining with their respective clubs because the practices alone are as valuable as domestic J-League games. Home field advantage has often been a factor in the World Cup. If Japan can get beyond the first round, Troussier's bold reminder that anything can happen may ring true.
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