Japan face Argentina
backlash in friendly
Alastair Himmer
Japan coach Zico will have the weight of recent history against him when the Asian champions face Argentina next week in a friendly that neither team can afford to lose.
Defeat in Saitama on November 20 could bring a swift end to the honeymoon period for Zico, whose team was unimpressive in a 1-1 draw against Jamaica last month, his first match since taking over from Philippe Troussier after the World Cup.
Argentina have named a full-strength squad for their first match since their shock first-round exit from the World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
Japan were beaten 2-0 at home by Brazil in March 1999 in their second game under Troussier, who was summoned for crisis talks by the Japan Football Association (JFA) following an abject performance.
That was the beginning of a rocky period between the Frenchman and the JFA that only began to improve after Japan won the Asian Cup in Lebanon in 2000.
Zico, in contrast, enjoys the full backing of the JFA, despite never having managed a team before.
He had previously been at J-League champions Kashima Antlers as a player and technical director since 1991.
UNAVAILABLE
Zico named a combative 20-man squad in the absence of European-based players Junichi Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata and Shinji Ono on Monday, who miss the game due to club commitments.
"Inamoto, Ono and Nakata are not available because I respected the wishes of their clubs," the Brazilian said. "I will continue to talk to managers and listen to their opinions."
Japan regulars Toshihiro Hattori and Hiroshi Nanami were also left out at the request of J-League leaders Jubilo Iwata, who are trying to become the first team to win both stages in a season.
"They will be involved in some important matches for their club in the next few weeks and I was asked not to select them," said Zico "I want them to be in the best possible condition for Jubilo."
However, the 49-year-old has called up six players from Japanese champions Kashima Antlers, who are currently second in the first division four points behind Iwata.
"The Antlers gave me the okay to pick six players," said Zico. "But players like (Mitsuo) Ogasawara and (Akira) Narahashi, who are just coming back from injury, will not play the full 90 minutes."
The 49-year-old has staked his reputation on a 4-4-2 system that Japan last deployed under Takeshi Okada at the 1998 World Cup in France.
Reggina playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura keeps his place and will start alongside the more defensively minded Koji Nakata, Takashi Fukunishi and Mitsuo Ogasawara in a solid-looking midfield.
Argentina coach Marcelo Bielsa picked the strongest squad available, with the likes of Juan Sebastian Veron, Pablo Aimar and Hernan Crespo all set to make the trip.
"I will drill into my players the need for caution for 90 minutes. Argentina have a lot of skilful players, but we are well organised and will work hard to deny them space," said Zico.
While a cautious approach makes sense for Japan, Zico does have the option of bringing Brazilian-born midfielder Alex off the bench to inject some extra pace into the attack.
However, history points to a difficult night for Japan, who have lost their last three matches against Argentina, including a 1-0 defeat in their last meeting at the 1998 World Cup.
Defeat to the South Americans would certainly be no disgrace for Japan, and the JFA are unlikely to push the panic button, but at the very least Zico will be hoping for more urgency and cohesion than his team showed against Jamaica.
