photo by Sapporo Dome 2009

Japan finally found their scoring touch and retained their UFWC title in some style in this friendly match – if any game against big rivals South Korea can be considered a friendly.

Alberto Zaccheroni’s Japan have been strong in defence, but often struggled in attack during their reign. That all changed today, with Shinji Kagawa scoring two goals in a performance that demonstrated why the Japanese are the Unofficial Football World Champions.

Visitors South Korea arrived without Lee Chung-Yong, who has a broken leg, and his obvious replacement Ji Dong-Won, who was required by his new side Sunderland. Despite these absences, Korea did cause some problems for Japan, particularly in the opening half-hour, with Lee Keun-ho and Kim Jung-woo both going close with headers, and Celtic’s Cha Du-ri of Celtic forcing a save from distance from the excellent Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima.

After that, however, Japan took control. In the 33rd minute, after a sustained spell of Japanese pressure, Tadanari Lee (Japanese-born and of South Korean descent) brilliantly flicked the ball into the path of Kagawa, who evaded two defenders and drove a shot past goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong.

The score was 1-0 at half-time, but seven minutes into the second half Japan scored again. A driving run and shot from Yuichi Komano forced Jung into a save, only for Hiroshi Kiyotake to control the rebound and tee up Keisuke Honda, who passed the ball into the back of the net.

Japan’s victory was assured two minutes later by Kagawa. The Borussia Dortmund star pushed forward from midfield, played the ball wide to Kiyotake, continued his run into the box, and clipped Kiyotake’s cross over the diving Jung.

South Korea belatedly came to life in the closing stages, with Koo Ja-cheol missing his side’s best chance, but there was no way past Japan’s defence. The game finished 3-0, and Japan remain UFWC champions, now unbeaten in 11 consecutive title matches.

After defeating South Korea, Japan’s next fixture sees them face North Korea on 2 September in Saitama. That’s Japan’s first World Cup 2014 qualifying match – also in group C are Uzbekistan and Syria. So Japan will be playing to retain their UFWC title, and to win qualifying points for Brazil 2014. We’ll have full previews and coverage right here.

The UFWC book is now available in Japanese from Amazon.co.jp.
Official Japan UFWC T-shirts are available from the UFWC store.

Match Reports japan, south korea

Photo by Takanori Nakanowatari

This final 2011 Kirin Cup match saw Japan defeat the Czech Republic to retain the UFWC title. Remarkably, all three Kirin Cup matches have ended 0-0, with none of the three participants managing to score a goal or win a match, meaning that the trophy is shared in somewhat embarrassing circumstances between Japan, the Czech Republic and Peru.

Granted the 2011 Kirin Cup only featured three teams and three matches, but it seems unlikely that any other tournament in international football history has offered so little entertainment.

Few Japanese fans would argue against the opinion that the Unofficial Football World Champions were poor in both of their matches, and can consider themselves lucky to still be in possession of the UFWC title. Peru looked to be the best team in the Kirin Cup tournament, and, on the evidence of today’s match, the Czech Republic were the worst.

In a fairly even match, Japan had the handful of better chances, and could have won if not for a very good performance by Czech Republic and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech. Makoto Hasebe shot just past the post for Japan, and Yasuhito Endo’s curling free kick was tipped over the bar by Cech as half-time approached.

In the second half, Maya Yoshida headed over from inside the six-yard box, and then Cech pulled off a brilliant double save, first beating out Shinji Okazaki’s close-range header, and then clawing away Tadanari Lee’s follow-up volley.

For the Czech Republic, Michal Kadlec and Tomas Sivok both had half-chances but failed to find the net.

The odd post-match press conference hinted at the reported rift between coach Alberto Zaccheroni and his players. ‘Nowhere in the world could a team improve as much in so little time as we have,’ said Zaccheroni, who had apparently been watching another match. ‘This team has tremendous potential.’

Acting captain Hasebe was much more realistic. ‘We were poor,’ the Wolfsburg midfielder said. ‘I apologise if we were boring. If we can’t beat teams like this at home we won’t scare too many of the world’s top teams.’

So what’s the next challenge for Japan? A friendly match against South Korea on 10 August should be a tougher test for the UFWC champs, although the Koreans are only one place above the woeful Czechs in the FIFA rankings, with South Korea placed 31st against Japan’s 14th.

But Japan vs South Korea is always a massive game – the last time they met was the epic Asian Cup semi final in January that was 1-1 at full-time, 2-2 after extra-time, and 3-0 to Japan on penalties. South Korea have only ever won one UFWC title match, but with Japan having failed to win since January and having stumbled on as champions via draws, anything could happen.

Match Reports Czech Republic, japan

Japan 0-0 Peru
Tohoku Denryoku Big Swan Stadium, Niigata, 01/06/2011

While FIFA followers watched a dodgy election, UFWC fans watched an actual football match, as Unofficial Football World Champions Japan took on Peru in this 2011 Kirin Cup opener. There were no goals, and the draw means that Japan retain the UFWC title – and go on to defend it against against the Czech Republic next Tuesday 7 June in Yokohama. But it could so nearly have been very different, with Peru unlucky not to win this game.

Japan went into the game fielding a much changed line-up, unbeaten coach Alberto Zaccheroni trying a 3-4-3 formation, with Kashima Antlers midfielder Daigo Nishi given a debut, and Keisuke Honda, Yuto Nagatomo and Maya Yoshida left on the substitutes’ bench. Peru coach Sergio Markarian named an exclusively Peruvian-based team, giving some younger players a chance in the absence of stars like Paolo Guerrero and Claudio Pizarro.

In an even first half, Nishi put in one tantalising cross that no Japanese player could get on the end of, and Makoto Hasebe had a couple of half chances, but Japan’s hero was goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, making a great save from Adan Balbin.

Keisuke Honda replaced Nishi at half-time as Zaccheroni reverted to 4-4-2, and he came closest to scoring for Japan with a free kick, but the second half belonged to Peru. Kawashima was forced to make several excellent saves, including a last gasp stop from Yoshimar Yutun, and Peru hit both Japanese goalposts through Raul Ruidiaz and Luiz Ramirez as they pushed for a winning goal that never quite came.

So Japan can consider themselves fortunate to remain UFWC champions – and unbeaten under Zaccheroni. They will need to improve in order to see off the next challenge from the Czech Republic.

Match Reports japan, Peru