"I get the impression that the players are too mechanical," said Masakuni Yamamoto, Japan's Olympic team coach, in delivering a strong message to Japanese players and soccer officials after holding his first training session with the under-21 squad Tuesday.
Many soccer critics, including former Japan coach Philippe Troussier, have often cited Japanese players' lack of international experience when they lose in a major tournament such as the World Cup.
But Yamamoto, who coached Japan's under-20 team in 1995, 1997 and 1999 and the Olympic team in 1996 and 2000 before working with Troussier over the last four years as his assistant, pointed out another problem with Japanese soccer -- uniformity of the players.