Alastair Himmer - The Japan Times

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Aug 21, 2001

I was buttering my muffins the other morning when my Australian mate Nezbo called. So obviously I had to tell him how crap the Aussies are at soccer, didn't I?

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Aug 7, 2001

Japanese soccer stars shocked by encounters with outside world

First the good news: Five Japan internationals now play abroad. With Naohiro Takahara playing for Boca Juniors and Hidetoshi Nakata, Junichi Inamoto, Shinji Ono and Akinori Nishizawa all employed in Europe, Japan coach Philippe Troussier has good reason to be optimistic ahead of next year's World Cup.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Jul 10, 2001

Troussier has no room for hanky-panky and circus animals

Its official: Philippe Troussier is not running a circus. The Japan coach was, in tabloid-speak, "gobsmacked" last Wednesday when he was quizzed about his team selection moments after Japan had defeated Yugoslavia 1-0 to win the Kirin Cup.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Jun 26, 2001

Japan's soccer prima donnas need a slice of wa

My girlfriend snores very loudly and dribbles on her pillow when she sleeps. By day, she transmogrifies from monster to model and is professional enough to keep both the dribbling and the chainsaw impersonation away from the catwalk.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Jun 15, 2001

Japan owes Troussier a 'Merci'

Poor South Korea. Get blitzed 5-0 by France in the Confederations Cup opener, making Japan feel a whole lot better about life after Philippe Troussier's boys lost by the same score in Paris on March 25. Go out of the tournament on goal difference, while Japan finish top of Group B following wins over Canada and Cameroon and a 0-0 draw with Brazil.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

May 29, 2001

Confederations Cup another step on the ladder

On Oct. 29 last year, Philippe Troussier sat, drenched in champagne, at his post-match press conference after Japan's nail-biting 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in the Asian Cup final. The oversized fruit bowl of a trophy beside him, the Frenchman grinned like a Cheshire cat while he tried to collect his thoughts on what it meant to deliver Asia's top prize to Japan.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

May 15, 2001

Who will stand up to captain Japan?

My friend Dave's grandfather once did a nude scene with Brad Pitt in the movie "Johnny Suede." This was doubtless extremely nerve-wracking and almost certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

May 1, 2001

Bored over in Cordoba

After "Le Flop" in Paris in March, Japan gave us "El Yawno" in Cordoba on Wednesday, holding Spain scoreless for 92 minutes until a moment of madness from Koji Nakata led to an injury-time winner from substitute Ruben Baraja.

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Apr 17, 2001

Small minds behind the small screen

Have you been lucky enough to follow England's World Cup qualifiers or Liverpool's progress in the UEFA Cup on SKY PerfecTV recently? Let me rephrase that: Have you been clever enough?

SOCCER / THE BALD TRUTH

Apr 3, 2001

Japan stuck in the Twilight Zone

Now that the dust has settled after "Le Flop," Japan coach Philippe Troussier will have a clearer idea of what he needs to do to put his team's chemistry right before this month's friendly against Spain in Cordoba.

JAPAN

Mar 10, 2001

Ex-soccer star turns to wheelchair basketball

-- Former soccer player Kazuyuki Kyoya revealed a glimpse of his professional past when he talked about his experiences with the Japanese wheelchair basketball team at last year's Sydney Paralympics. "I didn't feel particularly excited because we had our first game the next day. We hadn't gone to Sydney to party," he said when asked if the Oct. 18 opening ceremony, watched by 120,000 at Stadium Australia, had given him goose bumps.

SOCCER / J. League

Oct 31, 2000

Japan edges Saudi Arabia to become Asian champion

BEIRUT -- Japan survived a hostile "away" crowd, an early penalty and a second-half barrage by Saudi Arabia on Sunday to win the Asian Cup final 1-0 on a neatly taken goal from Kyoto midfielder Shigeyoshi Mochizuki.

MORE SPORTS

Oct 28, 2000

Japan edges China, will face Saudi Arabia in Asian final

Japan found an extra gear just when things looked to be slipping away Thursday, battling to a 3-2 win over China to reach the final of the Asian Cup and set up a rematch with rival Saudi Arabia. The Saudis, hammered 4-1 by Japan in the Group C opener on Oct. 14, booked their place in Sunday's final after scraping past South Korea 2-1 in the day's first semifinal at Beirut Sports City Stadium.

MORE SPORTS

Oct 26, 2000

Japan into Asian Cup semis

Japan spotted Iraq a one-goal lead in their Asian Cup quarterfinal on Tuesday, but came charging back to win 4-1 with two goals from Man of the Match Hiroshi Nanami and one apiece from Naohiro Takahara and Tomokazu Myojin. The Iraqi jinx looked set to continue for Japan at Beirut Sports City Stadium when a poor clearance from captain Ryuzo Morioka fell nicely for Iraq forward Abbas Jassim, who drilled a right-foot shot into the top corner with just four minutes gone.

SOCCER / World cup

Oct 22, 2000

Ten-man Japan battles to draw with Qatar

Japan "B" conceded a soft goal and was reduced to 10 men before halftime on Friday, but salvaged a 1-1 draw with Qatar in their final Asian Cup group match thanks to a 60th-minute equalizer from substitute Akinori Nishizawa. Philippe Troussier rested eight of the side which destroyed Uzbekistan 8-1 last Tuesday in preparation for next Tuesday's quarterfinal with Iraq and also got the "test" he wanted at Beirut Sports City Stadium as Qatar took a 22nd-minute lead.

MORE SPORTS

Oct 19, 2000

Japan runs riot over Uzbekistan

Japan threatened to run up a cricket score against Uzbekistan on Tuesday, but settled for a crushing 8-1 win to become the first team to make the Asian Cup quarterfinals. Jubilo Iwata's Naohiro Takahara and striking partner Akinori Nishizawa both netted hat tricks as the Japanese dominated in every department and left the field at Saida Municipal Stadium with a perfect six points from two matches in Group C.

SOCCER / J. League

Oct 17, 2000

Iran, Iraq stumble in Asian Cup

BEIRUT -- Iranian coach Seyed Jalal Talebi faced a grilling from the press at the Asian Cup on Sunday after his side was held to a 1-1 draw by Thailand at Beirut Sports City Stadium.

SOCCER / World cup

Oct 16, 2000

Japan hammers Saudi Arabia

Japan got off to a dream start in the Asian Cup on Saturday with a 4-1 demolition of defending champion Saudi Arabia that took Philippe Troussier's team to the top of Group C. Kashima forward Atsushi Yanagisawa made a mockery of the tournament's official program, which refers to Japan's "dearth of striking talent," by scoring his side's opening goal and setting up the third for Man of the Match Hiroshi Nanami after the break.

SOCCER / World cup

Oct 15, 2000

China holds S. Korea to Asian Cup draw

South Korea threw everything but the kitchen sink at China on Friday, but settled for a 2-2 draw after Kashiwa Reysol defender Hong Myung Bo was sent off in the 65th minute of their Asian Cup Group B opener. Hong got his marching orders after pulling down striker Su Maozhen and watched from the bench as defender Fan Zhiyi, of English club Crystal Palace, converted from the penalty spot to earn China an ill-deserved point at Tripoli Stadium.

MORE SPORTS

Oct 14, 2000

Training trip has an extra edge for Japan's Asian Cup squad

BEIRUT -- The drive to training will never have been more hair-raising for Japan's national team. They could have been traversing a lunar surface for all the craters the team bus had to negotiate.

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