Riko Yoshida selected as a Nadeshiko player for the first time. Courtesy from this site.
In addition to the European, South American and African championships, there is another women’s football competition being held in East Asia this summer: the EAFF E-1 Football Championship, held in Suwon and Hwaseong, South Korea. Both cities are near Seoul. It is a bit disappointing that we were not able to see the powerful North Korean team, who qualified but withdrew from the final league.
The Nadeshiko Japan team participating in this competition is called up of players from the Japanese domestic league, the WE League, and therefore includes many young players who are being selected for the first time.
Each player has been doing their best, but it seems that Manager Nielsen has to have given some instructions. Among his comments, his most memorable words were: I think they learned what they need to do to compete on the international stage: more frequently speed up and sprint, and keep doing those.
This suggests that he thinks each player’s intelligent running ability is an important factor to realize his team tactics. I agree. It is easily predicted that his team tactics will be spoiled down by only one player without knowing the importance of running even though her other abilities such as long kick or break through are excellent.
On the other hand, I am against his trial to convert attacking players to side backs, which will be a failure from a point of my view. Nowadays, side back players are technically and tactically special. The conversion won’t be successful if their skill up opportunities are limited only to the training and matches at the Nadeshiko team. Players who specialize as side backs in their own teams should be selected.
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