Football - Match Reports - France 5 Japan 0
POLISHED FRENCH PERFORMANCE JOLTS JAPANESE WORLD CUP ASPIRATIONS
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Geoff Connor reports on Japan's drubbing in Paris: France 5 Japan 0 March 24 2001 Stade de France, attendance 77,888 Japan were on the receiving end of some harsh French lessons in the first of a series of friendlies they are due to play in Europe as part of their preparations for the 2002 World Cup they will co-host with South Korea. |
 Japan's Brightest Star |
On a wet, heavy pitch, France, the current World and European champions, were superior in every department and aspect of the game, with only Japan’s AS Roma star, Hidetoshi Nakata, making any discernible impact against a France team packed with world-class individuals and superbly marshalled by the indomitable Zinedine Zidane.
The first-half Japanese tactic of packing the midfield area to stifle the talents of Zidane and Co. came to no avail as the French playmakers consistently proved the theory of quality over quantity and strolled to a two goal lead within the first twelve minutes. Arsenal’s Pires was brought down inside the area by a clumsy tackle after eight minutes, Zidane coolly converting the spot kick.
Three minutes later, Pires provided a through pass for Henry, whose devastating pace proved a constant menace to the Japanese defence, to fire across the face of the goal. The Japanese goalkeeper, Narazaki, lunged forward to thwart the danger but only succeeded in diverting the ball across his own goal line for France’s second. After half an hour, Nakata provided Japan’s sole first-half threat to the French goal striking the woodwork with a twenty-metre right foot effort during a rare Japanese foray into the French defensive lines.
The second-half introduction of an extra Japanese striker, Jubilo's Takahara, eased the midfield congestion somewhat, but France’s superiority was further enhanced with the counter-introduction of Arsenal stalwart, Patrick Viera. The unmarked Sylvain Wiltord nodded home from Zidane’s corner with his first touch after replacing Arsenal teammate, Thierry Henry, while fellow substitute, David Trezeguet rounded the Japanese keeper to slot home the fourth from Wiltord’s pass in the sixty-first minute. France, already on cruise control, knocked the ball around with consummate ease to the delight of the home fans and to the growing desperation of the frustrated Japanese players and supporters, and Trezeguet completed the rout, firing underneath the hapless Narazaki’s despairing dive for France’s fifth and final goal after fine work on the left by Viera.
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Japanese sports newspapers, normally ultra-nationalistic, were strangely subdued in their reporting of the match, preferring instead to divert attention away from the national humiliation to the upcoming confrontation with Spain on 24th April and the Confederations Cup tournament to be staged jointly in Japan and South Korea. Should the Japanese team fare badly during these matches, calls for the head of manager Troussier will surely increase before next year’s World Cup tournament begins in earnest. Troussier, blamed the conditions and a lack of international experience for the defeat. Critics found fault with the coach's 3-5-2 system. |
 Bad press |