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Holy salkow, Batman, Miki’s back! Yes, Japan’s very own Babe on Ice, Miki Ando, roared back to form in the opening event of the Grand Prix figure skating series, not only winning October’s Skate America competition in Connecticut, but overshadowing younger teen star Mao Asada, everybody’s current tip for greatness. Ando, of course, was panned after finishing a disappointing 15th at the Turin Olympics, but she’s lost a bit of chunkiness and taken her skating to a higher level; maybe now she will start to fulfill her promise. Next up on the calendar is the NHK Trophy from November 30 to December 3 in Nagano. Japan’s women skaters are hot right now. Catch them while you can. FV See sports listings for details.
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By
Fred Varcoe
The Zico era kicks off
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If Brazilian soccer legend Zico ever wondered what it would
be like to be the manager of the Japan soccer team, he need
only have read the newspapers. Like in England and his own
country of Brazil, the press are quick to let their opinions
be known. Too quick, really. Zico has already been condemned
and his team hasn't even played a match.
That all changes on October 16 when Japan meets Jamaica in
the Kirin Challenge Cup at Tokyo's National Stadium,
the team's spiritual home. And Jamaica can be seen
as a kind of litmus test for Japan and Zico, as the two previous
national team managers also faced the "Reggae Boyz."
Takeshi Okada's Japan played Jamaica in the 1998 World
Cup and lost 2-1, much to the derision of the media, who assumed
that the small Caribbean nation would be no match for the
"might" of the Boys in Blue. Philippe Troussier
gained revenge on behalf of the nation when Japan routed the
Jamaicans 4-0 in the King Hassan II Cup in Morocco two years
ago.
Perhaps Zico's hardest task will be to exorcise the
ghost of Troussier. The Frenchman was a huge presence for
Japan and he changed the face of Japanese football in the
nearly four years he was here. Zico, too, has made his presence
felt since arriving here nearly 10 years ago to play for Kashima
Antlers. Since retiring as a player, he has maintained a strong
presence at Kashima and the Antlers have performed magnificently
under his tutelage.
But while he may have pulled the strings behind the scenes
at Kashima, he has never been a full-time manager, and Japan's
soccer writers have been quick to question the wisdom of his
appointment as national team boss. On the other hand, he does
know-or at least should know-the Japanese players,
unlike Troussier, who spent the best part of his time here
figuring out who was any good (yet he still picked players
who were crap). That, in theory, is a huge advantage, but
Japanese players need a strong hand from the manager, and
the manager has to have a strong game plan.
Zico has suggested that he will dispense with Troussier's
3-5-2 formation and go with a more traditional 4-4-2 lineup.
This is not insignificant, as a 4-4-2 formation would almost
inevitably require different types of players to those selected
by Troussier. Will there be room for Brazilian-born left-winger
Alex? Defensive midfielder Kazuyuki Toda? Wild-man defender
Naoki Matsuda? All good players, but perhaps not guaranteed
a place with the team under new management. The likelihood
is that they will be on board, but there's also the
chance that a few old faces, notably Antlers defenders Akira
Narahashi and Yutaka Akita, will return to the team.
In truth, Zico's first lineup will reveal the thinking
behind the stoic facade of the 49-year-old Brazilian. The
media will be looking to analyze and question his choices,
as always, while the fans will be just be hoping for a win
and a good performance. If the Zico era is anywhere near as
interesting as the Troussier one, then we're in for
quite a ride.
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