Japan have nothing to lose at WC
Monday, 7 June 2010
GEORGE, June 6 (AFP): Underdogs Japan land in their World Cup base camp of George Sunday, in optimistic mood despite four straight international defeats in the run-up to the big tournament.
"You may think we're going to lose three straight (group) matches, don't you?," Japan and CSKA Moscow rising star Keisuke Honda asked Japanese media before the squad left their Swiss Alpine training camp of Saas-Fee.
"If we play bearing in mind we have nothing to lose, it would do us good," added Honda, who turns 24 on the eve of Japan's Group E opener against Cameroon on June 14 in Bloemfontein, followed by clashes with the Netherlands and Denmark.
The former Asian champions lost 2-0 in a warm-up against Ivory Coast in Sion on Friday. They had earlier lost 3-0 to a third-string Serbia and South Korea 2-0, both at home, and 2-1 to England a week ago in Graz, Austria.
"We could have matched ourselves against weaker opponents but we needed to play strong teams," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said in Saas-Fee about the last two games. The Blue Samurai bared their perennial lack of firepower while keeping up a solid defence despite conceding three own goals, two of them through Brazilian-born centre back Marcus Tulio Tanaka, against the powerhouses.
"You may think we're going to lose three straight (group) matches, don't you?," Japan and CSKA Moscow rising star Keisuke Honda asked Japanese media before the squad left their Swiss Alpine training camp of Saas-Fee.
"If we play bearing in mind we have nothing to lose, it would do us good," added Honda, who turns 24 on the eve of Japan's Group E opener against Cameroon on June 14 in Bloemfontein, followed by clashes with the Netherlands and Denmark.
The former Asian champions lost 2-0 in a warm-up against Ivory Coast in Sion on Friday. They had earlier lost 3-0 to a third-string Serbia and South Korea 2-0, both at home, and 2-1 to England a week ago in Graz, Austria.
"We could have matched ourselves against weaker opponents but we needed to play strong teams," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said in Saas-Fee about the last two games. The Blue Samurai bared their perennial lack of firepower while keeping up a solid defence despite conceding three own goals, two of them through Brazilian-born centre back Marcus Tulio Tanaka, against the powerhouses.