Paraguay meets Japan at Tshwane/Pretoria (Loftus Versfeld Stadium) today.
Japan’s main weapon by far has been CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda, whose free kick if you follow Champions League knocked out Sevilla in the last 16. The first Japanese to score in the knock out phase of the Champions League.
Honda’s free kick also scored Japan’s first goal against Denmark in this World Cup and during the waning minutes of the match his piece of skill set up Shinji Okazaki’s goal. It was a skillful and purposeful Japan that beat Denmark who were favourites with Netherlands to progress to the round of 16.
In fact, the Japanese seem to have been one of the few teams mastering the Jabulani. Only three free kicks have resulted in goals and two of those have come from the Samurai Blue.
They are also one of the older teams with an average age of 28 years. Veterans like Junichi Inamoto, Shunsuke Nakamura, and Yuji Nakazawa have earned 300 caps between them. This World Cup has been brutal to older teams like Italy falling by the wayside but this has not been the case with Japan. Older does not mean out of ideas. This Japanese team is full of them.
Apart from Honda, the Samurai Blue have Yasuhito Endo who scored the other free kick and is full of Brazilian trickery learned from Zico and Cesar Sampaio with his years at Gamba Osaka. A holding midfielder with impeccable attacking instincts. He is Deco like in his ability to control the midfield and distribute passes that springs the attack forward.
Makoto Hasebe, the Wolfsburg midfielder and captain of the team operates out on the right providing his crosses to the attacking players like Honda and Okubo.
However, Japan’s ace in the hole have been their goalkeepers. Eiji Kawashima holds the banner high beating out formidable opposition in Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi and Seigo Narazaki. He has had a brilliant World Cup so far and his shotstopping instincts stood him in good stead against Denmark. He will be called to do the same against the Guarani who have considerable firepower of their own in Roque Santa Cruz and Oscar Cardozo. Not to mention an opportunistic Paraguayan midfield that likes to have a crack at goal.
Should be a very good game. One expects the Paraguayans to dominate possession while Japan try and overcome them with counterattacks and set pieces.