巴西成功進入 2003 世青賽的 8 強
他們將要面對的對手是在 16 強擊敗宿敵南韓的亞洲強權日本
日本向來碰到巴西時並不害怕 \0/
過往他們無論是奧運會還是聯合會盃中都有和巴西交手的經驗
而極度願意將自己足球文化發揚到日本的巴西人面對日本居然無法佔上風!!!
但在世青盃上這樣的優勢卻消失殆盡...原因? 說不出個所以然!
本篇文章是賽前訪問日本隊長核心球員 Yasuyuki Konno 對於與巴西這場比賽的看法...
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Konno undaunted by Brazilians
(FIFA.com) 11 Dec 2003
The task facing the Japanese in their FIFA World Youth Championship UAE 2003
quarter-final clash with Brazil will be far from a simple one. Yasuyuki Konno,
captain of the Asian outfit, knows that the match will be no stroll in the
park, but courtesy of their last-gasp victory over their Korean cousins in
the previous round, the Consadole Sapporo defensive midfielder and his cohorts
have procured the kind of confidence that moves mountains. They are sure to
need all of it and more...
Beating Korea Republic has always held particular resonance for Japan.
Eternal rivals from the Asian continent, the two teams are consistently
locked in a tussle not only for regional supremacy but also to become the
first Asian side to enter the pantheon of the world’s footballing elite.
In winning 2-1 at the last sixteen stage after chasing the game, the Japanese
are now the sole Far Eastern representative left in the Emirates. “The
Koreans played really well in the first half, but we were the better side
overall, so it was us who won,” is Konno’s matter-of-fact assessment.
He also readily admits that the humiliating memory of defeat in the final of
the AFC Championship in October 2002 (1:0) has now been assuaged. “We’ve
been out for revenge since that final. It certainly helped us, as we were
desperate to show that it was nothing more than a hiccup.”
The Japanese squad touched down in the Emirates with their confidence
sky-high, only to receive an ice-cold shower in the form of a drubbing
dished out by Colombia (4-1). “Our hopes were high coming into this World
Championship, but at the start of the tournament, we experienced a few
problems, down to nerves mainly. As a result, we’re already over the moon
to have reached the quarter-finals, but we’ll still be looking to go as far
as we possibly can,” explains Konno.
But if they are to progress farther in the finals, the small hurdle of Brazil
must first be overcome, a Selecao whose record against Asian teams at the
World Youth Championship makes impressive reading: nine wins in 10 attempts,
with an average goals per game ratio of 4.3… “Brazil are a very big team,
so if we beat them, we will be thrust into the limelight. It gives us added
motivation to win the match,” reasons the positive-minded midfielder.
Hit them on the counter
He is, however, aware that Japan will be very much the outsiders - a fact
which does not necessarily faze him due to the tactical possibilities
presented. “We will probably have to do more defending than in previous matches, so we’ll need to be more patient and rely on the counter-attack. The solution will be to play fast,” he underlines. But the adoption of these restrained tactics notwithstanding, the Japanese will truly need to play out of their skins if they are to pull off an unlikely victory.
It is precisely this stark message that the captain has been hammering into
his teammates in the build-up to the clash: “I keep telling the players to
maintain the discipline instilled in us by our coach, which has served us so
well since the start of the event. But I’m also emphasising that every man
must give 100%.”
Lining up against him will be attacking midfielder Daniel Carvalho, one of
the revelations of the tournament, about whom all observers have been fulsome
in their praise. In his capacity as defensive midfielder, this admirer of
Claude Makelele will be called upon to stifle the light of this South
American will o’ the wisp. “He is an excellent player, so I’ll be
concentrating on defensive duties, trying to stop him expressing himself,”
he declares with a steely determination.
This young man, who came into football almost by chance when he half-heartedly
accompanied his best friend to a training session, is starting to show
considerable maturity. He certainly has one eye fixed firmly on the future.
“My ultimate aim is to play in the next World Cup. I want to keep on
improving, thereby attracting the attention of the big foreign clubs,” he
dreams out loud.
But more pressing concerns quickly drag him back down to earth, to the United
Arab Emirates to be precise, where he not unreasonably hopes to follow in the
footsteps of his illustrious predecessors, who journeyed all the way to the
Final in 1999. “What the youth team achieved in 1999 was truly remarkable,
but I believe we can do even better than them,” he declares with no shortage
of youthful optimism. It is his own special way of letting his ambitions for
the tournament be known: victory in the Final, no less.
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