The 2009 J. League season has so far been notable for the emergence of several excellent young players, but that in turn has raised questions over the way the Japanese press handles its teenage talent.
Kashima Antlers striker Yuya Osako, Urawa Reds pair Genki Haraguchi and Naoki Yamada, and Yokohama F. Marinos forward Kazuma Watanabe have all quickly become regular starters at their clubs after making their debuts this year, sending the media hype machine into overdrive with the World Cup just over a year away.
Antlers manager Oswaldo Oliveira stirred the pot with his recent prediction that 18-year-old Osako will make the cut for Takeshi Okada's squad for South Africa, but his counterpart at Urawa, Volker Finke, has been far less enthusiastic.