Aggressive Japan Team Should Test U.S.
After an unimpressive 0-0 tie against Canada and an eye-opening 5-0 victory over Norway, the United States national soccer team finally gets a real test tonight when it plays Japan at SBC Park in San Francisco.
Like the Americans, the Japanese are preparing for the World Cup in Germany this summer, and their coach, former Brazilian standout Zico, has brought a hungry team to the U.S. for the 8 p.m. match, which will be televised live on ESPN2.
The 22-man Japanese squad does not include the team’s Europe-based stars, but instead is composed of J League players trying to earn a spot on the World Cup roster.
The game is the first of nine for Japan before the World Cup, where it will play Australia, Croatia and world champion Brazil in the first round.
This month, Zico hired Junior, his teammate on Brazil’s 1982 World Cup squad, as his assistant coach. The pair won South American and world club championships while playing for Flamengo in 1981.
The U.S. and Japan have played each other only once, at the Kirin Cup in 1993, when Japan won, 3-1, in Tokyo.
Tonight’s match will be the first against a World Cup squad for U.S. Coach Bruce Arena’s team. According to Curt Onalfo, the U.S. assistant coach whose duties include scouting, Japan is similar to Mexico in style, with quick, aggressive players.
Striker Tatsuhiko Kubo, with eight goals in 26 games, leads Japan.
The U.S. is anchored on defense by Eddie Pope and on offense by Landon Donovan, both of whom will be playing in their 76th game for the U.S.
With an assist, Donovan can tie Galaxy teammate Cobi Jones, who holds the U.S. record with 22 assists for the national team.
This week, Arena released Galaxy defender Ugo Ihemelu and Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan so that they could return to their clubs. Also absent will be Frankie Hejduk (strained quadriceps), Kyle Martino (strained hamstring) and Santino Quaranta (groin strain).
Arena’s team plays Guatemala in Frisco, Texas, on Feb. 19, then travels to Germany twice in March, to play Poland in Kaiserslautern on March 1 and Germany in Dortmund on March 22.
The U.S. plays the Czech Republic, Italy and Ghana in the first round of the World Cup.
