Former Yugoslavian coach Ivica Osim will replace Zico as coach of Japan national team.

The 65-year-old Bosnian, currently coach of Japanese club JEF United Chiba, indicated he was ready to accept a deal and said he hoped to build a team with a style suited to the Japanese players.
“I think I received this offer because of […]

After the World Cup, Japan’s Nakata decided it was the time he retired from the national team.

“I will never go out onto the pitch again as a professional football player, but I will never give up football,” said the 29-year-old, whose third FIFA World Cup™ ended in a 4-1 defeat to defending champions Brazil.
“I had […]

Simic goes out with red card for Croatia and Ronaldo scores for 4-1 against Japan.

Gilberto scores in the 59th minute for Brazil and they lead 3-1. They really want to punish the Japanese team for their courage of scoring…

Juninho scored in his own way: shot from 30m wide and the Japanese goalkeeper couldn’t keep it out.

Important matches should be carefully refereed. Let’s hope no major mistakes will occur.

Match 41
CZECH REPUBLIC-ITALY
22.06.2006
HAMBURG
Referee: ARCHUNDIA Benito (MEX)
Assistant Referee 1: RAMIREZ Jose (MEX)
Assistant Referee 2: VERGARA Hector (CAN)
Fourth Official: RUIZ Oscar (COL)
Fifth Official: NAVIA Jose (COL)
Match 42
GHANA-USA
22.06.2006
NUREMBERG
Referee: MERK Markus (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: SCHRAER Christian (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: SALVER Jan-Hendrik (GER)
Fourth Official: KAMIKAWA Toru (JPN)
Fifth Official: […]

Missing a penalty shot, the Croatians might feel like they missed a chance, but the game was a close call all the way.

Budweiser Man of the Match: Hidetoshi NAKATA (JPN):
I am sorry for the Japanese fans that we didn’t win the game. Nil-nil wasn’t a good scoreline for us. In the first half, I thought […]

Japan and Croatia finished equals and neither of the coaches is too happy with the result.

ZICO (JPN)
It was a very equal game. We didn’t lose, so we are still in the tournament. I think we played very well. It was very difficult to play at this time because of the heat and we have done […]

Japan played bad. They didn’t create chances… they really didn’t play as they were expected. Coach Zico understands he needs to make some changes.

In their second Group-F match against Croatia on Sunday, he plans to boost his midfield by employing his favourite four-man last line which can free up two full-backs to join four midfielders […]

Japan is not happy with their result: losing 3-1 to Australia, and it shows.

The country’s leading sports newspaper, Sankei Sports, chose the headline “A nation in despair as Australia come from behind to beat Japan”, and began the piece by saying: “We should have been having a good drink to celebrate victory, but after […]