Former Arsenal winger Ryo Miyaichi may rue the day he chose the 'unlucky' number 13 shirt at his new club St Pauli, after sustaining a knee ligament injury that will keep him out of action for the entire season.
Ryo's left knee was injured during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano. Having seen some of the still photographs from that game, it appears that Ryo was targeted for some rough-house treatment. In one shot, you can see an opponent stepping on Ryo's foot, putting pressure on the Japan international's right ankle.
While there is a lot of sympathy for Ryo's plight, reading through some of the comments on Japanese websites, it seems some people think Ryo Miyaichi is not a very good player. I can't understand this, as technically he is very strong. His ball control is excellent and he can pass, cross and shoot equally as well. However, I still think he needs to read the game better.
Nevertheless, apart from some persistent injury problems, which I hope Ryo can overcome, there is very little stopping Miyaichi from becoming a top player. He has blistering pace and a great attitude: you can be sure he'll be doing all he can during rehabilitation to make sure he returns to St Pauli's team better and stronger.
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Friday 24 July 2015
Wednesday 8 July 2015
Arteta kept on for art's sake?
While I think Arsenal did the right thing by signing Mikel Arteta from Everton back in 2011, I'm not sure it makes sense to keep him on for one more year. Although the Spaniard has put pen to paper on a new deal, to me, he is a long way past his best.
Judging by last season, age seems to have caught up with him and injuries seem to have have taken their toll on the talented midfielder. I'm not alone in thinking that Arteta struggles to keep up with the pace of the game nowadays.
Having said that, there is a case for stability. Bringing in a replacement for an influential player like Arteta is risky; new big names can upset the chemistry in the dressing room and consequently you are far better off making a few crucial signings than you are going for huge personnel changes. Once you lose the 'spirit' (which Wenger forever mentions) in the dressing room, it is incredibly difficult to get it back. Wholesale changes have the potential to disrupt a club to its very foundations, so it's wise to gently out the leaders one at a time rather getting rid of them 'Night of the Long Knives' style. With Podolski gone, perhaps no more big names will follow this year.
Then again, Arteta's human qualities may be worth keeping him around. After all, he can represent the views of the all-important Spanish-speaking contingent better than anyone else, I'd imagine. Maybe Hector Bellerin can be groomed to be his successor in a year's time, in that respect, as his English language skills seem ever better than Arteta's. However, Bellerin's tender age goes against him, so I'd imagine Arsenal's Spaniards would prefer to deal with 'Papa' Arteta.
The reason I'm scrabbling around trying to think of off-the-field reasons to give Arteta a new deal is he no longer offers enough on the field. Like Gilberto, no matter what Arsenal pundit Tom Watt thinks on the Brazilian, Arteta may end up staying for one year too long. When the legs start to go, it's time to offload, I'd argue.
However, perhaps there is hope that the Spaniard will be able to make up for what he now lacks physically, by stepping up his reading of the game. Personally, I think that will be nigh on impossible, as Arteta reads the game as well as anyone in the modern game, so how can he improve? How can he steal any more extra yards on opponents with his anticipation?
Aside from precision passing, what else does Arteta offer on the pitch? 'The aqueduct', I heard a Monty Python fan say. Well, I think we can safely say 'penalties', although Santi Cazorla takes a mean one too.
Perhaps what I've missed so far is Arteta's 'cool head', which makes him such an excellent captain. However, Per Mertesacker offers that too and will almost certainly (unless he gets sold or displaced by Gabriel) complete more minutes on the pitch next season than the Spaniard.
Therefore, the only sensible reason for keeping Arteta on is to make him part of the back room staff. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Arteta became a manager one day; the question is will it be at Arsenal?
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Judging by last season, age seems to have caught up with him and injuries seem to have have taken their toll on the talented midfielder. I'm not alone in thinking that Arteta struggles to keep up with the pace of the game nowadays.
Having said that, there is a case for stability. Bringing in a replacement for an influential player like Arteta is risky; new big names can upset the chemistry in the dressing room and consequently you are far better off making a few crucial signings than you are going for huge personnel changes. Once you lose the 'spirit' (which Wenger forever mentions) in the dressing room, it is incredibly difficult to get it back. Wholesale changes have the potential to disrupt a club to its very foundations, so it's wise to gently out the leaders one at a time rather getting rid of them 'Night of the Long Knives' style. With Podolski gone, perhaps no more big names will follow this year.
Then again, Arteta's human qualities may be worth keeping him around. After all, he can represent the views of the all-important Spanish-speaking contingent better than anyone else, I'd imagine. Maybe Hector Bellerin can be groomed to be his successor in a year's time, in that respect, as his English language skills seem ever better than Arteta's. However, Bellerin's tender age goes against him, so I'd imagine Arsenal's Spaniards would prefer to deal with 'Papa' Arteta.
The reason I'm scrabbling around trying to think of off-the-field reasons to give Arteta a new deal is he no longer offers enough on the field. Like Gilberto, no matter what Arsenal pundit Tom Watt thinks on the Brazilian, Arteta may end up staying for one year too long. When the legs start to go, it's time to offload, I'd argue.
However, perhaps there is hope that the Spaniard will be able to make up for what he now lacks physically, by stepping up his reading of the game. Personally, I think that will be nigh on impossible, as Arteta reads the game as well as anyone in the modern game, so how can he improve? How can he steal any more extra yards on opponents with his anticipation?
Aside from precision passing, what else does Arteta offer on the pitch? 'The aqueduct', I heard a Monty Python fan say. Well, I think we can safely say 'penalties', although Santi Cazorla takes a mean one too.
Perhaps what I've missed so far is Arteta's 'cool head', which makes him such an excellent captain. However, Per Mertesacker offers that too and will almost certainly (unless he gets sold or displaced by Gabriel) complete more minutes on the pitch next season than the Spaniard.
Therefore, the only sensible reason for keeping Arteta on is to make him part of the back room staff. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Arteta became a manager one day; the question is will it be at Arsenal?
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Could Pod have been a God at Arsenal?
The quick answer to that question is 'yes'. That's what makes it doubly difficult to fathom why it didn't work out for Lukas Podolski at Arsenal.
Podolski is the latest big name to move on freeing up a large proportion of the wage bill and bringing in a few million into the Arsenal transfer kitty in the process.
Given that Poldi was loaned out last season, he will not be greatly missed. However, when he did play for Arsenal, he proved on numerous occasions that he still has an eye for goal. Indeed, I expected great things from the Germany international who was given the 'cursed' number 9 shirt. I expected German efficiency in front of goal; to some extent, we got that. I expected German industry, stamina and team-work too, but sadly that wasn't what we got.
Nevertheless, Poldi's goals alone made him a good bench warmer, offering Arsenal a plan P (if you like): another source of goals if Olivier Giroud dried up. Unfortunately, that was all he would ever be, as he always struggled to look fit enough to complete the full 90 minutes. I mean, what did Poldi offer defensively? Not a lot would be my answer, whereas Giroud is able to track back, when necessary, and help out the team.
Added to that is the fact that, like a lot of strikers at Arsenal, Poldi was played out of position a lot of the time. Therefore, in the circumstances, Arsenal were lucky the German hit the net 19 times in 60 league games. That's only one every 3 games, roughly, which is not the sort of goal return you'd expect from a guy who's scored nearly 50 on the international stage.
Ultimately, the club have undoubtedly made the right decision to offload Poldi. He may have been popular with the fans and his team-mates, but his output on the pitch didn't justify keeping him at the club.
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Podolski is the latest big name to move on freeing up a large proportion of the wage bill and bringing in a few million into the Arsenal transfer kitty in the process.
Given that Poldi was loaned out last season, he will not be greatly missed. However, when he did play for Arsenal, he proved on numerous occasions that he still has an eye for goal. Indeed, I expected great things from the Germany international who was given the 'cursed' number 9 shirt. I expected German efficiency in front of goal; to some extent, we got that. I expected German industry, stamina and team-work too, but sadly that wasn't what we got.
Nevertheless, Poldi's goals alone made him a good bench warmer, offering Arsenal a plan P (if you like): another source of goals if Olivier Giroud dried up. Unfortunately, that was all he would ever be, as he always struggled to look fit enough to complete the full 90 minutes. I mean, what did Poldi offer defensively? Not a lot would be my answer, whereas Giroud is able to track back, when necessary, and help out the team.
Added to that is the fact that, like a lot of strikers at Arsenal, Poldi was played out of position a lot of the time. Therefore, in the circumstances, Arsenal were lucky the German hit the net 19 times in 60 league games. That's only one every 3 games, roughly, which is not the sort of goal return you'd expect from a guy who's scored nearly 50 on the international stage.
Ultimately, the club have undoubtedly made the right decision to offload Poldi. He may have been popular with the fans and his team-mates, but his output on the pitch didn't justify keeping him at the club.
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Saturday 4 July 2015
Diaby was never going to be an Arsenal great
A lot of blogs have had their say on Abou Diaby's departure from Arsenal so, for what it's worth (which is the same as the transfer fee for the Frenchman, i.e. Nothing), here's mine.
I've read people writing something along the lines of Diaby was great on his day, but there were too few of them. I would go 'one step beyond' that (to quote a Madness song) and say there was only one of those great days: Liverpool away.
I'd argue that the much-maligned Andrey Arshavin gave Arsenal better value for money as he was outstanding on more than one occasion, of course scoring 4 times at Anfield. Yet, nearly no one seemed upset when he moved on.
Likewise, while I sympathise with Diaby's injury problems, I don't feel sad about his departure. I don't think it's easy to put a player like him in a team, as he wasn't disciplined enough to be a defensive midfielder like Flamini and he wasn't attack-minded enough to be as effective going forward as Samir Nasri (who apparently, although I don't believe it, wants to come back to Arsenal).
Diaby reminds me of the Denilson era. That was a time when the trophy room was barren and misplaced passes were common. Fans were expected to be believe that D&D would come good, but they never did at Arsenal. Why? A comparative lack of workrate to their predecessors Flamini and Cesc Fabregas, although Denilson was more guilty in this respect than Diaby. Additionally, Diaby didn't have the ability to play the killer ball like Cesc.
In short, how many assists and goals did Diaby achieve while at Arsenal? Not enough to be classed as an effective performer offensively. And how many interceptions and tackles did he make per game? Again, not enough.
Regardless of his record though, I wish Diaby all the best with his future career (probably in the MLS). Nevertheless, I'm not going to consider what might have been had he not been the victim of more than one horrific tackle, as I don't think he was ever destined to be an Arsenal great.
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I've read people writing something along the lines of Diaby was great on his day, but there were too few of them. I would go 'one step beyond' that (to quote a Madness song) and say there was only one of those great days: Liverpool away.
I'd argue that the much-maligned Andrey Arshavin gave Arsenal better value for money as he was outstanding on more than one occasion, of course scoring 4 times at Anfield. Yet, nearly no one seemed upset when he moved on.
Likewise, while I sympathise with Diaby's injury problems, I don't feel sad about his departure. I don't think it's easy to put a player like him in a team, as he wasn't disciplined enough to be a defensive midfielder like Flamini and he wasn't attack-minded enough to be as effective going forward as Samir Nasri (who apparently, although I don't believe it, wants to come back to Arsenal).
Diaby reminds me of the Denilson era. That was a time when the trophy room was barren and misplaced passes were common. Fans were expected to be believe that D&D would come good, but they never did at Arsenal. Why? A comparative lack of workrate to their predecessors Flamini and Cesc Fabregas, although Denilson was more guilty in this respect than Diaby. Additionally, Diaby didn't have the ability to play the killer ball like Cesc.
In short, how many assists and goals did Diaby achieve while at Arsenal? Not enough to be classed as an effective performer offensively. And how many interceptions and tackles did he make per game? Again, not enough.
Regardless of his record though, I wish Diaby all the best with his future career (probably in the MLS). Nevertheless, I'm not going to consider what might have been had he not been the victim of more than one horrific tackle, as I don't think he was ever destined to be an Arsenal great.
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Thursday 2 July 2015
Did tough tackling kill Ryo's Arsenal career?
Ryo Miyaichi's injury problems were, on the face of it, the main reason he didn't cut it at Arsenal. Put simply, he just wasn't fit often enough to be considered for selection. As I explained in JSoccer Magazine, Ryo's slightly bow-legged stance often leads to injuries in a player's career: Robin van Persie is testament to that.
However, added to that is the tough tackling in the English game married to the frenetic pace. It's been mentioned to me by an ex-pro that nowadays players don't get a breather between collisions. It's just non-stop.
Although Ryo hasn't gone public on his reasons why it didn't work out at Arsenal, Ogimi of Japan's Women's World Cup team has publicly cited her view as to why Germany is a better place to play football. The former Chelsea star told JSoccer Magazine that it was indeed the tough tackling that made her leave the English game. And there I was thinking it was the puke-inducing supermarket dishes that masquerade as sushi in this country and the faux-Japanese cuisine of Wagamama and their ilk!
We can only guess that something similar began Arsenal's Japanese exodus with Ryo, Ohno and Kinga all leaving the club. In Ryo's case, I can't forget when he was almost kicked up in the air while on loan at Bolton. He'd had the temerity to score the opener at Millwall, so the hosts weren't going to put up with that. I think the offending player got booked for the challenge, but the general lack of protection provided by English referees will inevitably force the delicate but skilful types to ply their trades elsewhere.
The same lack of protection is found in other English speaking countries, judging by last night's Women's World Cup semi-final refereed by officials from New Zealand. While England were the dominant team against Japan and were unlucky not to go through, some of their tackling and negative tactics pushed the boundaries of acceptability. Quite how England earned a penalty when the player who was 'fouled' was not touched at all is beyond me. It was clearly a dive. Sadly, the BBC studio guests, which included Trevor Sinclair and Gunner girl Rachel Yankee, did not agree. One of the replays clearly showed it was a dive, but the studio and commentator Jonathan Pearce refused to recognise the facts. Perhaps there is mileage in being biased, but I expect more from the BBC, considering we have no choice but to pay the licence fee.
Having said all that, hats off to Sampson's England for getting this far in the competition and outplaying the World Cup holders. England had certainly done their homework on the opposition, pressing them and winning the ball deep in Japanese territory. In fact, England can consider themselves incredibly unlucky given they hit the bar three times and only one of those strikes ricocheted in; unfortunately it was the own goal that cost the country a first World Cup final since 1966.
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However, added to that is the tough tackling in the English game married to the frenetic pace. It's been mentioned to me by an ex-pro that nowadays players don't get a breather between collisions. It's just non-stop.
Although Ryo hasn't gone public on his reasons why it didn't work out at Arsenal, Ogimi of Japan's Women's World Cup team has publicly cited her view as to why Germany is a better place to play football. The former Chelsea star told JSoccer Magazine that it was indeed the tough tackling that made her leave the English game. And there I was thinking it was the puke-inducing supermarket dishes that masquerade as sushi in this country and the faux-Japanese cuisine of Wagamama and their ilk!
We can only guess that something similar began Arsenal's Japanese exodus with Ryo, Ohno and Kinga all leaving the club. In Ryo's case, I can't forget when he was almost kicked up in the air while on loan at Bolton. He'd had the temerity to score the opener at Millwall, so the hosts weren't going to put up with that. I think the offending player got booked for the challenge, but the general lack of protection provided by English referees will inevitably force the delicate but skilful types to ply their trades elsewhere.
The same lack of protection is found in other English speaking countries, judging by last night's Women's World Cup semi-final refereed by officials from New Zealand. While England were the dominant team against Japan and were unlucky not to go through, some of their tackling and negative tactics pushed the boundaries of acceptability. Quite how England earned a penalty when the player who was 'fouled' was not touched at all is beyond me. It was clearly a dive. Sadly, the BBC studio guests, which included Trevor Sinclair and Gunner girl Rachel Yankee, did not agree. One of the replays clearly showed it was a dive, but the studio and commentator Jonathan Pearce refused to recognise the facts. Perhaps there is mileage in being biased, but I expect more from the BBC, considering we have no choice but to pay the licence fee.
Having said all that, hats off to Sampson's England for getting this far in the competition and outplaying the World Cup holders. England had certainly done their homework on the opposition, pressing them and winning the ball deep in Japanese territory. In fact, England can consider themselves incredibly unlucky given they hit the bar three times and only one of those strikes ricocheted in; unfortunately it was the own goal that cost the country a first World Cup final since 1966.
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Wednesday 1 July 2015
How good a manager is Wenger?
I think we can safely say that Wenger must be a good manager, if we calculate his success by the trophies won during his tenure. But how good is he?
Only the players that have played under him really know and even then it would depend on who you ask. If you asked Andrey Arshavin I'd imagine he wouldn't give a glowing report on a manager who played him out of position for much of the time and left him on the bench for most of the rest. As I've always maintained, a player who plays out of position for the team cannot be judged in the same way as one who plays where he is accustomed to playing.
But try telling the fans that! The player out of position gets stick for poor performances gets the blame and fans say things like: 'he is as much use as a chocolate teapot'. The truth is the use of the chocolate is the decision of the manager, so the failure of certain superstars lies squarely at his door, as does the credit for the blossoming of Ramsey and Sanchez among others.
Then again, if you asked Tony Adams and the defence that played alongside him about Wenger, no doubt they'd wax lyrical about the benefits of creatin and the additional years they played professionally as a result. Wenger has to get the credit for that and the trophies that came with his appliance of science.
Since the Invincibles turned to also-rans in the league, there's been a growing school of thought that believe Wenger has stagnated. They ask if he grasping the nettle offered by Mourinho given that it seems he nearly always gets stung when Arsenal play Chelsea.
However, the signing of Cech might change all that. Perhaps Mourinho's nearly perfect record against Wenger is now in danger and Arsene will finally record his first ever victory against his old adversary. Maybe even another league title has become a possibility.
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Only the players that have played under him really know and even then it would depend on who you ask. If you asked Andrey Arshavin I'd imagine he wouldn't give a glowing report on a manager who played him out of position for much of the time and left him on the bench for most of the rest. As I've always maintained, a player who plays out of position for the team cannot be judged in the same way as one who plays where he is accustomed to playing.
But try telling the fans that! The player out of position gets stick for poor performances gets the blame and fans say things like: 'he is as much use as a chocolate teapot'. The truth is the use of the chocolate is the decision of the manager, so the failure of certain superstars lies squarely at his door, as does the credit for the blossoming of Ramsey and Sanchez among others.
Then again, if you asked Tony Adams and the defence that played alongside him about Wenger, no doubt they'd wax lyrical about the benefits of creatin and the additional years they played professionally as a result. Wenger has to get the credit for that and the trophies that came with his appliance of science.
Since the Invincibles turned to also-rans in the league, there's been a growing school of thought that believe Wenger has stagnated. They ask if he grasping the nettle offered by Mourinho given that it seems he nearly always gets stung when Arsenal play Chelsea.
However, the signing of Cech might change all that. Perhaps Mourinho's nearly perfect record against Wenger is now in danger and Arsene will finally record his first ever victory against his old adversary. Maybe even another league title has become a possibility.
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Arsenal players on verge of final
If you're interested in ladies football, read on. If not, you should take a peek at midnight tonight when England (including a number of Arsenal players) take on Japan in the second World Cup 2015 semi-final in Canada.
England go into the game as underdogs, as Japan's passing game saw them crowned world champions last time around for good reason.
None of England's Arsenal contingent has particularly caught my eye in this tournament, to be honest, as the headlines have been stolen by Jodie Taylor of Portland Thorns and Reading's Fran Kirby.
Talking of eye, Arsenal's Siobhan Chamberlain looked solid in goal when she replaced Karen Bardsley against the hosts; Bardsley had suffered an allergic reaction earlier and left the field with swollen eyes. Will Chamberlain be back tonight? We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, look out for Casey Stoney, Lianne Sanderson, Alex Scott and Jordan Nobbs, who make up the rest of the Arsenal mob.
However, a first World Cup final for England since 1966 seems unlikely given the quality of the opposition. The World Cup holders can boast the likes of Shinobu Ohno and Yukari Kinga in their ranks, who both won FA Cup medals in England with Arsenal.
As regards Ohno, her movement off the ball is effective at this level, but fans in Japan think she doesn't score enough. A touch of the Olivier Girouds, methinks! She was subbed in the last game and her replacement, Mana Iwabuchi, got the winner, so perhaps Ohno will be benched alongside Kinga.
Another Japanese player with an English connection is Yuki Ogimi (formerly of Chelsea), who is often referred to as 'Oh Jimmy' by ignorant BBC commentators who don't know how to pronounce a hard 'g'. It's like 'git', you 'got' it?
Also a victim of a lack of BBC research is Japan's skipper, Aya Miyama. For some reason, the BBC have decided she should be called 'My am ah'. It sounds a bit like a Cockney on a building site reminding a colleague whose tool he's accidentally picked up: 'Oi mate, that's my 'ammer'. Of course, it should be pronounced 'me' instead of 'my' at the start. Somebody tell the BBC please, as I don't think they can hear me shouting 'me' at the TV. Still, they fixed 'Oh Jimmy' recently (no pun in poor taste intended), so surely they can do the same with Miyama.
Finally, I have to mention Japan's number 9, Nahomi Kawasumi. She is known as the 'roadrunner' given the amount of grass she covers in a game. As well as that, she's a pass master, or should that be 'pass mistress'? Anyway, she's a talent that I wish could be allowed to play in men's football.
Additionally, Rumi Utsugi of Montpellier always puts in a good shift. She protects the back four a bit like Francis Coquelin and should be commended for her discipline.
Aya Sameshima, wearing the number 5, is also one to watch. Despite the number on her back, don't be surprised to see her making runs down the left; England need to be alert to the danger she poses.
Ayumi Kaihori in goal is likely to stay calm, at the other end, although she made an horrendous howler in a recent Japan game.
All in all, I'm expecting a tight game. Arsenal legend Rachel Yankee scored for England last time they played Japan in a 2-0 win. This time I think it will be settled by a single goal or go to penalties, but if you force me to pick a winner I'm going for Japan.
Regardless of the result, I advise you to watch this game; for entertainment value, you won't regret it.
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England go into the game as underdogs, as Japan's passing game saw them crowned world champions last time around for good reason.
None of England's Arsenal contingent has particularly caught my eye in this tournament, to be honest, as the headlines have been stolen by Jodie Taylor of Portland Thorns and Reading's Fran Kirby.
Talking of eye, Arsenal's Siobhan Chamberlain looked solid in goal when she replaced Karen Bardsley against the hosts; Bardsley had suffered an allergic reaction earlier and left the field with swollen eyes. Will Chamberlain be back tonight? We'll have to wait and see.
Meanwhile, look out for Casey Stoney, Lianne Sanderson, Alex Scott and Jordan Nobbs, who make up the rest of the Arsenal mob.
However, a first World Cup final for England since 1966 seems unlikely given the quality of the opposition. The World Cup holders can boast the likes of Shinobu Ohno and Yukari Kinga in their ranks, who both won FA Cup medals in England with Arsenal.
As regards Ohno, her movement off the ball is effective at this level, but fans in Japan think she doesn't score enough. A touch of the Olivier Girouds, methinks! She was subbed in the last game and her replacement, Mana Iwabuchi, got the winner, so perhaps Ohno will be benched alongside Kinga.
Another Japanese player with an English connection is Yuki Ogimi (formerly of Chelsea), who is often referred to as 'Oh Jimmy' by ignorant BBC commentators who don't know how to pronounce a hard 'g'. It's like 'git', you 'got' it?
Also a victim of a lack of BBC research is Japan's skipper, Aya Miyama. For some reason, the BBC have decided she should be called 'My am ah'. It sounds a bit like a Cockney on a building site reminding a colleague whose tool he's accidentally picked up: 'Oi mate, that's my 'ammer'. Of course, it should be pronounced 'me' instead of 'my' at the start. Somebody tell the BBC please, as I don't think they can hear me shouting 'me' at the TV. Still, they fixed 'Oh Jimmy' recently (no pun in poor taste intended), so surely they can do the same with Miyama.
Finally, I have to mention Japan's number 9, Nahomi Kawasumi. She is known as the 'roadrunner' given the amount of grass she covers in a game. As well as that, she's a pass master, or should that be 'pass mistress'? Anyway, she's a talent that I wish could be allowed to play in men's football.
Additionally, Rumi Utsugi of Montpellier always puts in a good shift. She protects the back four a bit like Francis Coquelin and should be commended for her discipline.
Aya Sameshima, wearing the number 5, is also one to watch. Despite the number on her back, don't be surprised to see her making runs down the left; England need to be alert to the danger she poses.
Ayumi Kaihori in goal is likely to stay calm, at the other end, although she made an horrendous howler in a recent Japan game.
All in all, I'm expecting a tight game. Arsenal legend Rachel Yankee scored for England last time they played Japan in a 2-0 win. This time I think it will be settled by a single goal or go to penalties, but if you force me to pick a winner I'm going for Japan.
Regardless of the result, I advise you to watch this game; for entertainment value, you won't regret it.
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