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kushiro

Okazaki interviews, comments and pictures from the Japanese media

By kushiro, in Leicester City Forum

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kushiro

kushiro

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Good summary here from the Japan Times again:

 

 

Centurion Okazaki looking for balance after win over Syria

 

japan_times_pic.jpg

by Andrew Mckirdy   Mar 30, 2016

SAITAMA – National team striker Shinji Okazaki thanked his teammates for helping him reach 100 caps but warned the hard work is still to come after Japan topped its 2018 World Cup second-round qualifying group with a 5-0 win over Syria on Tuesday. Japan made it through to the final round of Asian qualifiers without conceding a single goal after recording a perfect eighth clean sheet against the Syrians at Saitama Stadium. A 17th-minute own goal gave Japan — which had already booked its place in the final round — a precarious lead until Shinji Kagawa made the result safe midway through the second half, and late goals from Keisuke Honda, Genki Haraguchi and another for Kagawa burnished the final score.

 

Okazaki failed to add to his 48 international goals on a night when he became only the fifth player to make 100 appearances for Japan, but the Leicester City striker was more concerned about the overall balance of the team after Syria came close to scoring on several second-half occasions.“I have to thank a lot of people. It’s not possible to get to 100 caps on your own, and that’s a thought I always carry with me” said Okazaki, who was given the captain’s armband for the game.“There were a lot of times tonight when we strayed too far forward and allowed our opponents to create chances. The plan was to try not to sit back and to keep attacking, but now we need to work on how to do that without giving the opposition big chances.“When you play against Asian teams and you’re winning by only one goal — tonight we got away with it but against stronger opposition you can’t take so many risks.”

 

Japan takes its place in the April 12 draw for the final Asian qualifying round with a place in a sixth-straight World Cup up for grabs. The 12 teams will be split into two groups, with the top two from each sealing a berth in Russia and the two third-place teams facing each other for the right to take on a North American team in a playoff. Japan manager Vahid Halilhodzic declared himself satisfied with his team’s progress but warned improvements must be made ahead of the final round. “The first stage is now over, and the next stage will be more difficult,” said the Bosnian. “This team still has room to develop in every department — tactically, mentally, physically and technically. I would also like us to improve in front of goal because I can’t believe how many chances we created tonight. “When you are building a house, first you need to lay the foundations. After that you build the first floor and then the second floor. We have built the first floor and next comes the second. The World Cup is the third floor. But if you don’t build a solid foundation and there’s an earthquake, it all comes crashing down.”

 

Japan goalkeeper Shusaku Nishikawa kept his sixth straight clean sheet in World Cup qualifiers to set a new national team record, and the 29-year-old credited his teammates for staying calm in the face of Syrian pressure. “It’s great that we were able to get through the second round without conceding any goals,” said Urawa Reds goalkeeper Nishikawa. “We were actually able to turn times when we were in a pinch into chances and goals of our own, and we kept our concentration and didn’t concede. “We gave our opponents chances in the second half and that is something for the team to work on, but there were also a lot of good things about our performance and the fact that we didn’t concede was excellent.”

 

Tuesday’s game marked almost a year to the day since Halilhodzic took charge of Japan for the first time in a friendly win over Tunisia. Goalscorer Haraguchi believes the team is beginning to live up to the manager’s expectations. “We were able to play with a high tempo right from the start tonight,” said Hertha Berlin forward Haraguchi, who came on as a 58th-minute substitute when Hotaru Yamaguchi was stretchered off with a broken nose and eye socket after a shocking challenge by Syria’s Khaled Almbayed.“That’s the kind of fast-paced game the manager is looking for. We need to try to keep this going.”

 

Syria also qualified for the final qualifying round as one of the four best second-place teams from the eight groups, and manager Fajer Ebrahim could have no complaints at finishing second behind Japan. “I think it’s normal for Japan to qualify, because Japan are one of the best teams in Asia,” he said. “But for Syria, this qualification is very great.”

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kushiro

kushiro

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From the Japan Times:

 

Okazaki hails never-say-die Leicester
Apr 18, 2016
 
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – Premier League-leading Leicester City saw its five-match winning streak halted on Sunday, but Japan striker Shinji Okazaki hailed his team’s battling 2-2 draw with West Ham United in a game that was riddled with controversial refereeing decisions. “I think that point was huge for what it meant to our team mood,” Okazaki said, after Leonardo Ulloa’s stoppage-time penalty earned the Foxes a crucial point in their bid to win the league.

 

Okazaki, who turned 30 on Saturday, showed his typical energy in attack and in defending and was replaced by Ulloa four minutes after the departure of his strike partner Vardy.

 

“(Personally) I can’t be satisfied since I didn’t score,” Okazaki said. Ulloa’s equalizer in the dying seconds from another contentious decision by Moss changed the mood at King Power Stadium. “It was big for us to show that kind of resilience,” Okazaki said.

 

Okazaki also offered his support to the victims of the ongoing earthquakes in southwestern Japan that have claimed 42 lives and forced more than 190,000 to evacuate their homes. “It’s really left me speechless,” Okazaki said. “I’m very concerned and a lot of people are uncertain about what lies ahead. But Japan is a nation that has overcome this kind of difficulty in the past. “I will be behind them.”

 

 

 

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STUHILL

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This guy is a top player but has been played in a specific role which means Vardy is left alone up front for break away goals. I do wonder how Okazaki will do in the Vardy role. He can obviously finish as his record for Japan is amazing. Maybe the little and large combo of him an Ulloa can work. No doubt Ulloa's main strength is holding up the ball and laying it off so could work and I still think we are yet to see the best of Okazaki infront of goal. Now is your time!!

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kushiro

kushiro

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This is really good. From the Japanese magazine 'Soccer Digest', a link to their reports of all our games this season. It's in Japanese, but still enjoyable for the pictures and graphics. Very Shinji oriented, obviously.

 

I really like the picture from the Sunderland home game. It shows Shinji's first ever contribution to the team - at one minute past three on August 8th.  He sprinted 30 yards and slid in to make a magnificent tackle, to rapturous applause. Kind of set the tone for his season of non-stop sacrifice.

 

http://www.soccerdigestweb.com/news/detail3/id=15399

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