HANOI — Well, you can't accuse Naohiro Takahara of being short on confidence.
The striker may have blasted his spot-kick over the bar in the shootout victory over Australia on Saturday, but the Eintracht Frankfurt man said he won't go hiding if Wednesday's Asian Cup semifinal against Saudi Arabia comes down to penalties.
"If I had the chance, I would take one again and would be ready to take responsibility if I missed," Takahara told reporters after training late Monday evening. "If I'm picked to take a penalty, there would be no reason for me to refuse."
Takahara was on target with a penalty in practice Monday and his goal-scoring record at the finals so far suggests he knows where the net is: four goals in as many games makes him the top scorer, and this despite the striker feeling a little under the weather in the group stages.
"I thought I would be able to make a contribution to some extent, but was worried about my condition and how to build it up without having a break. But the staff and people around me have really helped me out," he said.
Takahara, known as "Sushi Bomber" in Germany, said he was looking forward to a less-than-strenuous preseason with Frankfurt once the tournament is over.
"When I go back to Germany for the start of the new season, obviously I'll have to train, but Frankfurt have said they won't be pushing me too hard. I'll be able to get ready with a slightly lighter training program."
| * * * * * |
The Nakamuras have been glued to the box ahead of the Asian Cup semifinal, studying the Saudis.
Shunsuke Nakamura picked out Yasser Al Qhatani — scorer of three goals so far in the tournament — as a potential threat, but said central defender Yuji Nakazawa, nicknamed "Bomberhead," would be more than the equal of the striker with the nickname "Sniper."
"I have seen them on television and they have some very dangerous players and the No. 20 (Al Qhatani) is one of them, but we have "Bomber" to deal with him," said Nakamura.
Shunsuke's midfielder partner and less famous namesake Kengo Nakamura, who plays for Kawasaki Frontale in the J. League, has noticed the Saudis have changed for the better since Japan beat them 3-1 in the Asian Cup qualifiers in November 2006.
"The (Saudi) team here is quite different to the one we played in Sapporo and their forwards are blessed with a lot of pace and great technique,"' Nakamura said. "I watched their game (in the quarterfinals against Uzbekistan) and they are very dangerous on the counterattack so we have to be switched on."
| * * * * * |
JUST A THOUGHT: Attendance at the Asian Cup finals has been pretty dismal, apart from when the host countries played their group matches. One of the only other games with a fairly respectable crowd was Australia vs. Japan, thanks not only to a sizable following from both countries but also a number of locals out to see Premier League stars like Harry Kewell. Thanks to the likes of ESPN STAR Sports, soccer fans in Southeast Asia can't get enough of the Premier League and the Italian and Spanish leagues. Local soccer is a sorry second best. It's a sad fact that if the European Championships were held in Asia, it would draw more spectators than the Asian Cup finals.
| * * * * * |
They are long gone now, but after Australia lost to Japan on Saturday a gaggle of reporters from Down Under tried to collar defender Lucas Neil in the media mixed zone — where journalists can speak with players — for a few comments. Neill wasn't having any of it and made a beeline straight for the team bus.
The reason? "I just can't trust you guys anymore," he shouted over to the hacks.
| * * * * * |
AND FINALLY: Mully's Missives' match prediction: Japan 1, Saudi Arabia 0.