For Fred Varcoe's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
KOBE -- A last-minute header by Robbie Fowler of Leeds United earned England a share of the spoils as it drew 2-2 with Cameroon in a leisurely friendly in front of 36,424 fans at Kobe Universiade Stadium on Sunday. The match, played in warm, sunny ...
After solving the issue of what the 2002 World Cup would be called in Japanese -- by removing the two countries' names -- FIFA no doubt hoped that the organization of the tournament would proceed without any further hiccups. It was wishful thinking. With just over ...
In the year 2000, Belgium and the Netherlands became the first countries to cohost a major, FIFA-sanctioned football tournament when they staged the 2000 European Championship finals. It was an all-around success and pointed the way forward for other cohosted tournaments. Except, perhaps, the 2002 ...
As the deadline for deciding who would host the 2002 World Cup approached, FIFA boss Joao Havelange was approaching his 80th birthday and had been head of FIFA for over 20 years. Many thought he was getting past his sell-by date. He was a ...
Riding the shinkansen from Kobe to Tokyo with Philippe Troussier on May 3, Japan's soccer coach said there would be no surprises when he announced his World Cup squad on May 17. Kozo Kinomoto, deputy chief of JFA technical development committee, holds the list of ...
Can Japan and South Korea work together to put on the 2002 World Cup? Knowing their history, nothing could seem more unlikely. Many Japanese look down on South Koreans; many South Koreans hate Japan. But these are modern times. Both countries have democracies, both have suffered ...
Like most Asian countries, South Korea had never really considered bidding for the World Cup. FIFA had split its biggest tournament between Europe and South America (plus Mexico) since the first competition in Uruguay in 1930. It seemed as if FIFA thought that the remaining ...
The head of soccer's world governing body FIFA is never likely to be called a shrinking violet. In the world of sport, perhaps only the head of the International Olympic Committee has a more powerful voice. When he talks, everyone listens. So when back in ...
The "Blatter Out" campaign breezed through Tokyo on Monday as Issa Hayatou, FIFA boss Sepp Blatter's rival for the presidency, and his South Korean ally, Dr. Chung Mong Joon, held a press conference to state their case for a new broom in FIFA. Hayatou and ...
KOBE -- If Japan manager Philippe Troussier needed to be reminded of his side's defensive frailties, then he should be grateful to Honduras, which pushed the home side to a 3-3 draw in the Kirin Cup at Kobe Wing Stadium on Thursday. Honduras took the ...
