Japan Defy Doubters to Home in on World Cup Last 16 Senegal Coach Admits Asians Were the Better Side
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Established 1961 25 Sports Tuesday, June 26, 2018 Japan defy doubters to home in on World Cup last 16 Senegal coach admits Asians were the better side YEKATERINBURG: Attack-minded Japan have defied enough chances to win but ended up twice chasing the sceptics who said they would flop at the World Cup and match because of poor defending. instead go into their final group game on Thursday need- Even Senegal coach Aliou Cisse admitted the Asians ing just a draw to reach the last 16. Japan sacked their were the better side. In the Colombia victory in particu- coach just two months before the World Cup, throwing lar Japan were rewarded for Nishino’s adventurous their preparations for Russia into chaos. approach. On the eve of the Senegal showdown, in which Following a series of poor friendly results and reported Japan were again the underdogs, Nishino revealed that at clashes with senior players, the Japan Football Association half time against Colombia some of his players wanted to (JFA) gambled in getting rid of Vahid Halilhodzic and settle for 1-1. “But I said that we could win and we will replaced him with JFA technical director Akira Nishino. win so we went for victory and that is why I gave them The move in April was deeply attacking tactics and that is controversial, coming so close why we are top of the group,” to the World Cup, even if not said Nishino. Behind the quite on the scale of the risk rather dour demeanour, taken by Spain, who dumped Japan needs Nishino has shown himself to their coach on the eve of the have a dry wit. tournament. just a draw to Asked before the Senegal Philippe Troussier, a for- match how he would counter mer coach of the Asian side, reach last 16 their strength and height told AFP before the tourna- advantage, he replied tongue- ment that a team bereft of in-cheek: “For the past several confidence had “no chance” days I have been telling my of reaching the knockout players to gain five centime- stages. Japan may still fail to tres and five kilos, but it failed, get out of Group H, but they have surpassed expectations so we need other measures.” Unfortunate to be 2-1 down and play already eliminated Poland with their fate in their on 71 minutes, Nishino made what turned out to be a own hands. masterstroke against Senegal. He immediately hauled off It has been a roller-coaster few weeks for Japanese the ineffectual Borussia Dortmund attacking midfielder fans. Friendly defeats to Ghana and Switzerland following Shinji Kagawa and replaced him with 32-year-old Keisuke Nishino’s appointment deepened the sense of foreboding, Honda in a like-for-like change. KAZAN: Japan’s defender Tomoaki Makino (C) attends a training session in Kazan yesterday during the Russia although Japan did beat Paraguay just before the World He also replaced midfielder Genki Haraguchi with 2018 World Cup football tournament. — AFP Cup. From there they became history-makers when they Leicester City forward Shinji Okazaki as he went for beat 10-man Colombia 2-1 in their opening game, the first broke. Six minutes after coming on, Honda equalised. win, though Nishino said he was content with a point. the past for his buccaneering approach. “In the second Asian side to defeat a South American team at a World Knowing that victory would effectively seal a spot in the “I suggested some improvements and I thought we half we wanted to win and after twice equalising I put on Cup. They followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Sadio next round, Nishino threw on attacking midfielder Takashi could go for the win and I told them that (at half time),” Usami. There was an option to put on a defender, but I Mane’s Senegal on Sunday, a game in which Japan had Usami in the dying minutes. Japan looked more likely to said Nishino, a former Gamba Osaka coach criticised in chose to attack.” — AFP Zlatan on the mind for wistful ‘Crazy’ or in love, World Cup Swedes Russia dances to YEKATERINBURG: Zlatan Ibrahimovic retired from inter- Latin World Cup beat national football two years ago but Sweden’s former talis- man looms over their World Cup campaign like only he can. It is only too tempting for Sweden fans to wonder MOSCOW: Latin American countries have sprung a what might have been had the former Paris Saint-Germain World Cup surprise by filling Russia’s 11 host cities player been in the side for Saturday’s match against with tens of thousands of fans from Mexico and Germany, which ended in a painful last-gasp defeat. Or Colombia to Peru and Argentina. And some of the allow themselves to imagine what impact Ibrahimovic Europeans who did show up said their friends back could have had this Wednesday, when Sweden face home told them they were crazy to go. The contrast- Mexico in a make-or-break final group game in ing cast of supporters at the biggest event in sport Yekaterinburg. reflects Russia’s progressive creep away from Europe Now 36 and in the twilight of his career at LA Galaxy, in the 18 years of President Vladimir Putin’s rule. the giant forward hit 62 goals in 116 games for Sweden Moscow is now embracing new allies that happen before quitting the international scene in 2016. There was to worship football and where damning-and often speculation in the build-up to the World Cup that he might exaggerated-media stories about Russian hooligans make a dramatic return and the much-travelled MOSCOW: Former Swedish international footballer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, gestures ahead of the Russia 2018 and poisoning cases are rare. This mix and the added Ibrahimovic, who also played for Manchester United and World Cup Group F football match between Germany and Mexico at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow. — AFP ingredient of a more evenly spread-out global mid- Barcelona, mischievously dropped numerous hints. But dle-class with the means to travel the world has the Sweden coach Janne Andersson did not court him-”Zlatan streets of Russia dancing to a decidedly Latin beat. is very welcome to call me”-and Ibrahimovic ended up is he who said ‘no’.” Helwig and Bronk are such big unique player but he was always the spearhead, which “We didn’t expect it to be this beautiful and the being in Russia only for commercial reasons. Ibrahimovic fans that they will travel to the United States meant it was not always easy for the other players. people are amazing,” Mauricio Miranda said as he Swedish fans began trickling into Yekaterinburg, the in September to see him in action. Helwig, playing the “We need to build now with younger players,” said the waved a Colombian flag on the edge of Red Square in most eastern city at the World Cup, yesterday and mention Pokemon Go game on her smartphone as she ambled in 53-year-old from the city of Uppsala, outside Stockholm. Moscow. “We will definitely come back,” said the 30- of the swaggering Ibrahimovic brought wistful smiles. the sunshine, said Sweden would have at least drawn with “But unfortunately, there is not another Zlatan coming year-old. “Everyone misses Zlatan, but he does not fit into our new Germany had Ibrahimovic been on the pitch. through.” Philip Henriksen, with his parents and sister to Belgian public relations consultant Jo De Munter team,” said Maria Bronk. “I think so because he’s the best scorer in Sweden of all see their first game at the World Cup, is adamant. “He does not necessarily disagree. It is his friends who do. Companion Ditte Helwig, sporting a yellow hat, yellow time so it would have been a better result with Zlatan.” should be here, he is our best striker,” said the 18-year- “I think Europeans are a bit afraid,” the 46-year-old shirt and blue leggings with the word SWEDEN, dis- Peter Jonsson, freshly arrived from watching the agonising old. “The score would have been different against said while staring in the direction of Lenin’s loss to Germany in Sochi, said it was time to move on. “We Germany because he did not just score goals, he was our agreed. “I think he fits, but I think he’s had enough of it. Mausoleum. “In Belgium, everybody told me I was have a new team with a new spirit. Zlatan of course is a leader as well.”—AFP He’s not too old, but I think he does not want to be here. It crazy to go to the football.” World Cups come in all shapes and sizes and comparing ticket sales rarely tells the whole tale. goal is to guarantee first place and two results will remarks about France in the build-up to the tourna- Europeans and Latin Americans are naturally more Deschamps says allow that,” Deschamps told reporters at the Luzhniki ment, calling them “nothing special”. inclined to attend World Cups held in their regions Stadium yesterday. “Everyone is free to say what they want and accept because of the easier travel arrangements and “I would never say to my team that we’re playing for responsibility. It wasn’t a very nice thing,” said familiarity. France won’t offer a draw. I want my team to go out onto the pitch without Deschamps. South Africa in 2010 may provide a better exam- any ambiguity and to do everything to win this match. “The players read and listen more than me.