National Team for Merdeka.
Japan will send a newly-formed National Team with a strong will to win the title to the Merdeka tournament in Malaysia this summer. Some veterans, who were members of the Bronze Medal Team in the Mexico Olympics of 1968, will be dropped from the new team, and some young stars will be promoted. Mr. Ken Naganuma has returned as the National Team's manager, replacing| Mr. Shun Okano who had been in the position for the previous two years.
Although the new team will contain much young talent, some veterans will be retained to occupy key positions. They are Kamamoto, Ogi, Yamaguchi and Yokoyama, all of whom have experienced two Olympic Games in Tokyo and Mexico.
Kunishige Kamamoto, 28 years of age, is internationally famous as a keen striker. He was the leading goal scorer of the Olympic tournament in Mexico with 7 goals in 6 games, and became the leading scorer of the Japanese League three times in 1968, 1970 and 1971. Though he is now playing as a midfield player in the domestic league games for Yanmar Diesel, Osaka, he is sure to play as center-forward of the National side. We cannot find any striker in Japan to substitute for him at all.
Aritatsu Ogi, 29, has played as a strong defender in the National Team for the last few years, but he has also been playing in midfield with an attacking role for Toyo Kogyo, Hiroshima during this season. The problem for Naganuma is whether to use Ogi in midfield or in the defence line of his National Team. Naganuma cannot find another well-built midfielder such as Ogi, but he also needs a strong defender as the sweeper of the defence line.
Yoshitada Yamaguchi of Hitachi F.C.,Tokyo, is a specialist in man-to-man marking. The Japanese squad cannot play without him against any opponent having an excellent forward player. He is still only27 year of age.
Yoshikazu Nagai, 20, of Furukawa, Tokyo, is one of the new emerging wing forwards, who was selected for the Asian Youth Tournament three times in 1970, 1971 and 1972. Kazumi Takada, 20, of Mitsubishi is also a promising young winger. Nagai has excellent footwork, while Takada is characterised by his speed in running.
Two Brazilian-born players will be in midfield. They are Nelson Yoshimura, 24, George Kobayashi, 25, both of Yanmer Diesel, Osaka. Yoshimura is good in ball-jugging and Kobayashi can make a fine run with the ball.
In the defence line, Kozo Arai, 21, of Furukawa is the most promising young talent. He has been making remarkable progress as an all-round player of modern football.
For a goalkeeper, Japan still depends on the veteran player Kenzo Yokoyama, 29, of Mitsubishi, who will defend the Japanese goal in the Merdeka Tournament. Tatsuhiko Seta, 20, of Hitachi F.C., who was the goalkeeper of the youth team in Bangkok last April, will not be able to stand up to field in Kuala Lumpur next August. |
