Interview with Eiji Ueda
Deputy Director of the JFA Technical Committee and Director of the JFA Women’s Committee

--On his challenge as head coach of Macau, Nadeshiko Japan, and Shonan Bellmare--
“The two and a half years in Macau was a great experience, though at times I had difficulty adjusting to the different culture, customs, and the mentality of the players.”

 

“In August of 2002 I was appointed head coach of the women’s national team of Japan. At the outset there were a few moments where I would be at a loss, but I was moved by the players’ genuine motivation to do better and their strong responsibility to lead women’s football to the next level, and I wanted to help them fulfill their wishes. Defeating DPR Korea in the Athens Olympics preliminary competition and also beating Sweden in the final tournament in Athens, I was convinced that we had achieved tremendous improvement, but at the same time I felt that it would be difficult for me to take them to the next level. I felt the need to study new aspects of coaching, and I wanted to challenge men’s football again, helping to form a solid organization on which a strong team of unique talent could be developed. That is when I accepted the position of head coach of Bellmare.”

 

“I realized then that while I was heading Macau and the women’s national team of Japan, men’s football players and coaches in Japan had made quite an impressive improvement. More matches were being played in J.League’s Division 2, and because the teams were very close in their football level and abilities, the competition in the league was very fierce. It was a valuable experience for me to guide a team as head coach under such circumstances.”

--The current state of women’s football in Japan--
“As director of the JFA Women’s Committee, I have a big responsibility to figure out what can be done to improve the women’s game and how to implement that so that football can become a major sport for women. In order to increase the population of women’s football, it is crucial that Nadeshiko Japan does well, but on a long-term basis it is also very important to make efforts in developing the youth level and to improve the level of women coaches too.”

 

“The success of the women’s league (“MOC Nadeshiko League”) is also crucial. To improve attendance at matches, perhaps we need continuous efforts such as a football school carried out by clubs or sending guest coaches to local schools. At the end of the year, the All Japan Women’s Championship took place. Similar to the Emperor’s Cup, this tournament presents an opportunity for various teams—from local clubs to high school and university teams—to play against Nadeshiko League clubs in a competitive form. The more the local or school-based teams advance in the tournament, the more attention and excitement are induced. If the League and women’s tournaments can attract more attention and support, media exposure will increase and more people will become aware of women’s football. This is important not only to increase the number of players but also to arouse public interest in women’s football.”

--On the changes surrounding women’s football and issued that need to be addressed--
“Compared to the past, women’s football has obtained wider recognition. Many people now associate the word “nadeshiko” with women’s football.”

 

“To gain more recognition and support, it is most critical that Nadeshiko Japan achieve results. Compared to the world’s top level teams, the Japanese women footballers presently cannot compare in overall physical strength and in the power, distance, accuracy and speed of kicking the ball. It is therefore necessary to compete using the strengths of Japanese players, such as endurance, agility and organization.”

 

“To do that, I believe that men’s football trends should be applied, and I think that the level of women’s football can be raised by having men’s coaches. It also would be beneficial to have the Nadeshiko Japan coach visit the training sessions of the Japanese men’s national team.”

“With the launch of the women’s professional league, women players can now choose football as a career and hopefully there will be more and more women aiming to become a professional football player. With more understanding and support, it would be wonderful if they could resume their professional football career after taking a break to marry and build a family. We will continue to work on providing a better environment for women’s football in Japan to grow and develop.”

Interview with Junji Ogura, Vice-President of JFA

--On the role of the East Asian Football Federation, which will celebrate its 5th anniversary--

“This year marks the fifth anniversary for the East Asian Football Federation (EAFF). The Federation will continue to work on establishing a sound financial and organizational structure, promoting youth tournaments, implementing seminars for referees and coaches, and achieving its goal to contribute to the overall improvement of Asian football through the increase in the competitive level in the East Asia region by raising the competition among its member associations through the East Asian Football Competitions.”
“In addition, the FIFA Women’s World Cup will be held this year in China. The level of the women’s teams in East Asia is very high. As the driving force of women’s football in Asia, the East Asian teams must challenge the world’s top level women’s teams.”
“Also to be hosted in Asia this year will be the FIFA U-17 World Cup in the Republic of Korea. Canada will host the FIFA

U-20 World Cup, in which three teams from East Asia will participate as Asian representatives. It is evident that teams from East Asia are competing at the world level in all the different categories. I hope that the success and positive results of the East Asian teams taking part in these world championships will have a strong impact on the other Asian countries and regions and will stimulate football in Asia with new energy and motivation.”

ALL JAPAN WOMEN'S FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP:
“Nadeshiko” Players Seek a Place on the World Stage

HE28th ALL JAPAN WOMEN'S FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP took place from 10 December 2006 to 1 January 2007. This event was established for the purpose of improving the skills of the women’s players, nurturing a healthy mind and body, and contributing to the promotion of women’s football. It is the most prestigious women’s tournament for independent teams in Japan, and since 2005 the final match has been held on New Year’s Day at Tokyo’s National Stadium. All registered female players who are in eighth grade or older are eligible to play. This year’s finalists were Okayama Yunogo Belle and Tasaki Perule FC. Both teams are regulars among the top ranks in Division 1 of the MOC Nadeshiko League.

In the semi-final, Okayama Yunogo Belle went up against the tournament favorite, NTV Beleza, the defending champion going for its third consecutive title. Okayama scored the opening goal early into the match and defended the lead with great tenacity, advancing to the final with a chance to win their first championship title. Tasaki Perule FC clashed with Urawa Reds Ladies in the semi-final, and the two teams remained even after playing extra time, so the match went into penalty kicks. Tasaki eventually defeated Urawa and advanced to the final with the hope of recapturing the title they won back in 2003.

Experience seemed to prevail, as seven-time finalist Tasaki quickly gained the upper hand in the final against first-time finalist Yunogo Perule. In the 3rd minute, Tasaki’s FW Otani dodged two defenders, carried the ball into the penalty area and took a shot, but the ball hit the post. FW Suzuki rushed in to knock the ball in, scoring the opener. In the 38th minute, Tasaki’s MF Kai delivered a pass between the goalie and the defense line, and FW Suzuki was first to get to the ball, ducking GK Fukumoto and finding no obstacles in front of the goalmouth as she scored her second goal of the match. Tasaki’s offensive pressure continued in the second half, denying Yunogo Belle’s counter-attacks. Though no further goals were made, Tasaki maintained control of the game throughout and defeated Okayama Yunogo Belle 2-0, capturing their fourth championship title. Their last victory was three years ago.

“Our team made the same mistakes we made in the league matches and we allowed our opponents to score. We finished in fourth place in the league this past season and we made it to the final in the cup competition, so we will continue to work hard and be consistent so that we’re always in the final,” said a determined Midori Honda, head coach of Okayama Yunogo Belle, after the match. From the champion team, head coach Noboru Nakai commented, “I am very satisfied that we played our game and were able to win. However, it will not be easy to win the league title unless we take our team and individual skills of our players to the next level. Even if some of our players are selected to the national team, there is no guarantee that they will get a chance to play. Japan is not on an even level with the rest of Asia or with the world’s top level,” and he stressed the need for a stronger Japan women’s team.

Nadeshiko Japan finished fourth in the AFC Women’s Asian Cup held in July, 2006, and failed to gain automatic qualification to the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be hosted by China. Japan’s last hope depends on the home-and-away playoff against Mexico in March, 2007.”

Japan qualified for the last FIFA Women’s World Cup finals as a result of beating Mexico in the playoff, but this time the first leg will be played at home. “The better team will ultimately win. Since the first leg will be played on home ground, we will be able to go into the playoff under good conditions,” states Hiroshi Ohashi, head coach of Nadeshiko Japan. If Japan has a good start with a strong win, they will have a good advantage when they play the second leg away. Some say that Mexican and Japanese football players are physically more similar compared with European or American players, but Mexico can be expected to be physically tougher than Japan. Instead of adapting to the opponent, if Nadeshiko Japan can do what they excel in, using their outstanding stamina and team play to gain an advantage in numbers both in attack and defense, and if they can apply their strengths to the fullest, Japan will have a very good chance of securing a place in the FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.