Japanese media slam 3-0 loss to Brazil

What the hell did the media expect! Japan had trouble defeating Iraq and Australia! How were they expected to defeat one of the most powerful teams in the world? They have been reading their own press clippings and believing all the hype, they the media, have published about this team.

Actually, it's good to see the players add a bit of perspective to the drivel of the idiotic media and overhyped expectations of everyone in Japan. Losing to Brazil, in Brazil is what the rest of the footballing world would expect from Japan, on the balance of things.

The Blue Samurai had wished to do better than a 4-0 loss to Brazil in a friendly in neutral Poland last October, but instead now have eight defeats with two draws in 10 games against the South Americans

Haven't Japanese teams worn out the "Blue Samurai" name already? Don't see a lot of evidence of the fighting spirit in these teams that the name deserves.

Media in Japan is so monkey see, monkey do. Everything is scripted and planned well before the event. The fact that he media is reporting what the media is saying shows how shallow and immature it all is. JT falling in line and marching to the same dead beat.

one loss and they cry! And they call themselves fans. You win some you lose some, get over it.

Next time how about the media getting out there and playing the match? The media here build up any all sports teams or individuals in major competitions and make the public feel like they can do no wrong.

Nothing wrong with a dose of reality for the public here. Japan may be a good team, but no good enough yet it seems to handle a powerhouse like Brazil. So it's a learning experience and they have to go on. The public should learn to lower their expectations too.

perhaps they should turn their attention to a proper football code like rugby - Japan are beating heavy weights there.

Beating heavyweights? Look at the details, that "heavyweight" you refer to didn't even have it's regular members playing nor available for the match.

The Blue Samurai had wished to do better than a 4-0 loss to Brazil in a friendly in neutral Poland last October

A 3-0 loss is better than a 4-0 loss. Maybe by next year they will have it down to a 2-0 loss. Ganbare!

3-0 was a harsh result on Japan - they actually created a lot of good chances, and with a reliable striker they could've scored a couple of goals. I would even go as far to say that they could be a top 10 side with a world class striker. The media want to generate some attention for obvious reasons, but this is very harsh on the team.

A reality sandwich always gives indigestion, but refreshing that players like Honda and Nagatomo realized that it was a good indicator of Japan's level in the world, and that they must improve. They could give lessons to the fickle media on how to conduct themselves...

The Japan team showed a weak performance against Australia, but instead of SEEing the truth, they cheered a goal which was more than half the work of the referee. They also raised Honda to the position of god though he wasted so many free kicks and was just lucky the goalkeeper didn't catch his penalty shot to the mid point of the goal. This is what happened next! Can you see the weaknesses now? Can you see that Honda is not the great player that you could rely on for a win? Can you see that your football has slid downhill compared with 4 years ago? Work on it DENIERS ...

Japan put in a fantastic showing in the last world cup amidst general public pessimism. I hope they can get past all the hype this time around and forge the same team spirit. Ganbare Nippon.

While it's Brazil and respect must be paid, the media drumming on their own teams really has to stop if they and the teams are to mature at the international level

”The phrase was echoed by other media outlets”　it says, but what phrase? I think that the original referred to "完敗" "Kanpai" or "complete defeat" (not as in ”bottoms up”). Ganbare Nippon.

They also raised Honda to the position of god though he wasted so many free kicks and was just lucky the goalkeeper didn't catch his penalty shot to the mid point of the goal.

No one had seen you doing the same under same circumstances... and they won't. So STFU. 'deniers', lol

just lucky the goalkeeper didn't catch his penalty shot to the mid point of the goal

This comment reveals just how unfit you are to comment on soccer. Go watch a bunch of videos of penalty kicks on youtube. You might learn something.

I think media is also echoing the hype players are making for themselves! Didn't we hear players and coach saying they are aiming for winning the world cup?

For the match itself I second the words of cubic - Japan was the weaker team but football is not always about that. We saw some good performance and if Maeda had Neimar's strike and Okazaki more luck we could see few goals for Japan. In the same time the misses that Japanese players make are still inexcusable. Like J2's Endo not cutting the pass for the second goal - it's like I was watching J-league. Kawashima also makes a miss every match (despite saving few situations).

They have suffered a complete defeat by the football kingdom Brazil

Thursday's headline should be easy to write, just swap Brazil for Italy!

Seriously, when most of Japan's competitive games are against teams like Iraq, Jordan, Oman etc. its hardly surprising that they'd come unstuck against quality opposition. They are moving in the right direction though, by having more players experience club football in Europe. So in that sense the media is being naive.. it will take more time.

And once again we see that the media is a major part of the problem with sports in Japan, from table tennis, to golf, to soccer, and then some. They praised Japan far too much for Honda's goal vs. Australia, and the goal against Iraq at the 89 minute mark, and now they slam Japan for losing as they did to Brazil. I am VERY pleased to see the J-players react in a humble fashion and talk about using the experience to further themselves rather than buying into the media hype. The media here is TERRIBLE for putting people on pedestals when they do not deserve to be there, then stomping on them when the pedestal eventually topples over.

As for the team itself, Japan does very well at passing and creating scoring chances, but they have no good strikers whatsoever and usually shoot the ball wide or allow too much time for the defense to come to the aid, and the goalkeeper to be ready. Obviously they've got to work on defense a little, too, but I'd say out of offense and defense Japan is stronger in the latter.

Just import some talent from Brazil, Germany etc.. make them Japanese citizens and kazzam Japan will have a World Cup winning team :D

Anyone know what time the next game is broadcast in Japan?

Losing to Brazil was totally unexpected! ;)

Anyone know what time the next game is broadcast in Japan?

7am Thursday on Fuji TV.

hopeless.

Is that the same Japanese media that all but ignored the Football code that is winning against heavyweights? Why just focus on soccer?

I think media is also echoing the hype players are making for themselves! Didn't we hear players and coach saying they are aiming for winning the world cup?

And why shouldn't any team or player have the same aspirations? If your goal is just to participate then you should be pleased with the outcome. Japan is in the WC go ahead and celebrate.

I like their lofty goals, and what they do to attain them is what matters. I personally would want players on my team that strive to win and not be satisfied with just participating as you seem to think.

Japan has an Italian coach and perhaps we need a little more Italian-style pragmatism. Outplaying Australia, Iraq and Jordan is all well and good but a side of Brazil's quality took this lightweight side to the cleaners. It seems the time-honored Japanese refrain of relying on superior technique ( listening to some Kagawa is on a par with Messi and Iniesta in terms of skill ) to make up for physical size is still part of the thinking of some. Hate to break it to you guys, but this 'technique' isn't on the same planet as the top sides. Japan are far too lightweight and need a few more spoilers in the side, players who can stop expansive sides like Brazil getting it all their own way. I'd hate to see Japanese players rolling around on the deck every 5 minutes or parking the bus but an honest appraisal of your limitations as Nagatomo gave us coupled with a more pragmatic approach could be useful.

This result will be good for Japan in the long run. Brazil are a quality side. Now Japan know where they stand. Credit to them for not making excuses.

The press had better get ready to cry again. Why? Japan faces Italy next. Like Brazil, the Italians should win big ...

"It was a complete defeat today"

A complete, total and humiliating defeat!

Nobody, outside of the people here who absolutely refuse to see reality, was surprised.

Welcome to real fútbol!!

3-0 to Mexico would have been unacceptable but 3-0 loss to Brazil is rather expected.

And what, exactly do the media expect to happen in a year's time?

The knights have not written off the Blue Samurai Lords just yet and feel that there is a win or two left in them after their defeat to the multi time champions of the world. Recent matches have all been played by exhausted players coming from Europe to play and fly away, however with this FC being played over a couple of weeks (lots of team practise time) the BLLs will step up their game and hopefully prove the nay-sayers wrong. In the mean good luck to the Knights of Tahiti and our gold is on the Spanish Knights whom have a full team of proven world beaters.****

The Blue Samurai should play a different kind of football game playing against stronger South American or European teams. Against weaker Asian opponents like Jordan or Iraq or Australia they can show off their technical superiority (European style of play like Italian coach Zaccheroni knows), but against the stronger South American/European teams they should play a faster, short-on-the-ball and on-the-man-in-possession-of-the-ball game like stinging flies around a piece of cake. This football style has been played succesfully by the Koreans during the World Cup 2002, so you can call it "Korean style of play", engineered by the Dutch football coaches Hiddink and Advocaat. Of course, the best for the Blue Samurai would be the ability to switch between these 2 styles of footbaal play during one match...

Whose idea was the Italian coach? Does he even like Japanese? Can he communicate with the players effectively or is he as arrogant as he looks? Japan players need better footwork and conditioning and martial arts training.. they need to dance on the pitch and you can see that they are very bad dancers... do not play with the flair of the Spanish or Brazilians.