JSoccer News » Shinji Okazaki

Shinji Okazaki – from Kobe to King (Power).

Alan Gibson — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 01:30:10 +0000

Someone in England seeing what I’ve seen since his days at S-Pulse – and I know, I am not the only one in Japan who sees this!

Having said that, when I first heard (and told you) about leicester’s interest in Okazaki in the transfer window (or two?) before he actually made it to England), I could not have imagined his team would be on the brink of a Premier League Championship with a few games to go! Well deserved for the 100 cap Samurai Blue striker!

From: http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2016/apr/17/shinji-okazaki-tireless-leicester-intelligence

Leicester City’s outstanding counter-attacking first goal against West Ham featured three PFA player of the year nominees linking, with Riyad Mahrez poking a pass through to N’Golo Kanté, who fed the goalscorer Jamie Vardy. But there was also a crucial, unseen contribution from another impressive performer: Shinji Okazaki.

As Mahrez received the ball on the right, Okazaki glanced around to see Kanté storming forward and Vardy sprinting into the left-hand channel, so he made a clever decoy run towards the right, taking Mark Noble away from the defensive midfield zone, opening up space for Kanté to burst into, and helping to create the goal. It was textbook Okazaki: tactically intelligent, on the move, playing a supporting role.

This was not, in conventional terms, an impressive individual forward performance. Okazaki had no shots, did not dribble past any opponents and recorded a pass completion rate of under 50%. But Okazaki excels in the small, subtle details, and his style is perfect for Leicester’s game plan. If the Foxes are a relatively limited attacking side, depending upon counterattacking and set pieces for goals, it helps to have a forward that creates opportunities in both respects.

Okazaki does not get on the end of free-kicks frequently – but he wins them. In the opening stages he poked the ball away from Angelo Ogbonna to win a foul near the corner flag, which nearly resulted in a goal when Robert Huth headed Mahrez’s free-kick wide from point-blank range. Later, West Ham’s other centre-back Winston Reid was cautioned for a poor challenge on Okazaki, who put his body in the line of fire to draw contact – not as simple as it looks, as Vardy would later find to his cost.

Okazaki continued to make a succession of intelligent runs, too. The closest Leicester came to going 2-0 ahead came from another sudden burst, this time into the left channel, to receive a Danny Drinkwater pass. Perhaps caught in two minds, Okazaki’s final ball was more cross than shot, narrowly evading Vardy at the far post. Having created so many chances with his intelligent off-the-ball work, this would have been his first league assist of the season.

It was surprising Claudio Ranieri decided to sacrifice Okazaki immediately after Vardy’s dismissal, introducing the taller, less mobile Leonardo Ulloa. Ranieri presumably wanted someone to hold up the ball, and help defend set pieces, but Leicester badly missed Okazaki’s energy: someone who could chase hopeful long passes and help to relieve the pressure. Leicester are happy sitting deep and allowing the opposition possession, but they probably dropped back too much, invited too much pressure, and eventually conceded twice. Ulloa, at least, had the composure to convert the stoppage-time equaliser from the spot.

With Vardy suspended against Swansea City, Ulloa will be required once again – but it is Okazaki who will lead the fight. Many of his team-mates have enjoyed better campaigns overall, but the Japan forward typifies Leicester’s fight, selflessness and tactical intelligence.

JSoccer Magazine Issue 17 is here! Order before Sept.15 for FREE WORLDWIDE delivery!

Alan Gibson — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 03:51:27 +0000

JSoccer Magazine Issue 17 is here! Order your copy before September 15th and you qualify for FREE WORLDWIDE delivery.

http://jsoccer.com/index.php/jsoccer-magazine/magazines/jsoccer-magazine-issue-17.html/

If you prefer the Pay-What-You-Like PDF, we are ready for you!

http://jsoccer.com/index.php/jsoccer-magazine/magazines/jsoccer-magazine-issue-17-pdf.html

Shinji Okazaki is on the cover and there is SO MUCH MORE inside… here are a few page grabs to whet your appetite.

JSoccer Magazine Issue 17 Going to Print!

Alan Gibson — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 01:59:45 +0000

JSoccer Magazine issue 17 is going to press next weekend… so much good stuff, interesting articles, and unusual things covered. You can all read about Gamba, Reds, Antlers, etc. every day (every hour) from various sources, so JSoccer Magazine never claims to be “up to date” or new (although the revealing of Usami’s transfer to Bayern Munich in Issue 1 was timed perfectly, after he’d told us weeks before knowing that the timing of his move announcement would coincide with release of magazine – hopefully not setting precedent!) … we have a Nadeshiko Women’s World Cup spread, an “early history” of Urawa Reds (and some great “ancient” pictures), a look at the final day of J1 in 2005 – more pictures, too. There’s a look at some young players who are eligible to play for Japan, but living overseas, the United Nations of S-Pulse (planned, need to finish that!), Taiwanese ladies playing in Japan, and MUCH more … details coming closer to release date but, as always, thank you for your support.

Japanese in Europe

Alan Gibson — Mon, 01 Sep 2014 00:58:30 +0000

Tiago Bontempo – one of JSoccer Magazine’s experts on Japanese players overseas – gives us this list of Japanese players in Europe this season … (do you see any missing? Please advise)… Tiago gave us his Top Ten Japanese in Europe in JSoccer Magazine Issue 12 – excellent to read.

I believe that more players will go to Switzerland in the near future, and there will be a return to Holland for some? What do you think?

Akira Kaji going to Chivas in USA may show the way for more older (nearing retirement) or younger (without contract offers?) players to go to “the States”. A few more heading to Australia soon, too?

GERMANY – Bundesliga
Atsuto Uchida – Schalke 04
Gotoku Sakai – Stuttgart
Genki Haraguchi – Hertha Berlin
Hajime Hosogai – Hertha Berlin
Hiroki Sakai – Hannover 96
Hiroshi Kiyotake – Hannover 96
Makoto Hasebe – Eintracht Frankfurt
Takashi Inui – Eintracht Frankfurt
Shinji Kagawa – Borussia Dortmund
Shinji Okazaki – Mainz
Yuya Osako – Cologne
Kazuki Nagasawa – Cologne

GERMANY – Bundesliga 2
Hiroki Yamada – Karlsruher
Yusuke Tasaka – Bochum

GERMANY – 3rd Division
Mitsuru Maruoka – Borussia Dortmund B

ENGLAND
Ryo Miyaichi – Arsenal
Maya Yoshida – Southampton

ITALY
Keisuke Honda – AC Milan
Yuto Nagatomo – Inter Milan

SPAIN – Primera Liga
Mike Havenaar – Córdoba

SPAIN – Division 2
Sotan Tanabe – Sabadell

SPAIN – Division 3
Yukiya Sugita – Hércules

PORTUGAL – DIvision 1
Junya Tanaka – Sporting

PORTUGAL – DIvision 2
Mu Kanazaki – Portimonense

SWITZERLAND
Yuya Kubo – Young Boys of Berne
Yoichiro Kakitani – FC Basel

BELGIUM
Eiji Kawashima – Standard Liège
Yuji Ono – Standard Liège

HOLLAND – Division 2
Yuki Otsu – VVV Venlo

RUSSIA
Takafumi Akahoshi – FK Ufa

POLAND
Takuya Murayama – Pogon Szczecin
Shohei Okuno – Pogon Szczecin

ROMANIA
Takayuki Seto – Astra Giurgiu

Javier Aguirre selects his first national team squad…

Alan Gibson — Fri, 29 Aug 2014 05:28:13 +0000

Japan squad, as chosen by Javier Aguirre today, 15.30 for games against Uruguay and Venezuela.

Goalkeepers:
Eiji Kawashima (Standard Liege, Belgium)
Shusaku Nishikawa (Urawa Reds)
Akihiro Hayashi (Sagan Tosu)

Defenders:
Hiroki Mizumoto (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Yuto Nagatomo (Manchester Un… uh, sorry Inter Milan, Italy)
Masato Morishige (FC Tokyo)
Maya Yoshida (Southampton, England)
Hiroki Sakai (Hanover 96, Germany)
Tatsuya Sakai (Sagan Tosu)
Gotoku Sakai (VfB Stuttgart, Germany)
Ken Matsubara (Albirex Niigata)

Midfield:
Makoto Hasebe (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)
Hajime Hosogai (Hertha Berlin, Germany)
Ryota Morioka (VIssel Kobe)
Takahiro Ogihara (Cerezo Osaka)
Gaku Shibasaki (Kashima Antlers)
Junya Tanaka (Sporting Lisbon, Portugal)

Forwards:
Shinji Okazaki (FSV Mainz 05, Germany)
Keisuke Honda (AC Milan, Italy)
Yoichiro Kakitani (FC Basel, Switzerland)
Yuya Osako (FC Koln, Germany)
Yusuke Minagawa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Yoshinori Muto (FC Tokyo)

What do you think? Who is missing? Who is a shock?

GK
川島　永嗣　ｶﾜｼﾏｴｲｼﾞ（スタンダール・リエージュ／ベルギー）
西川　周作　ﾆｼｶﾜｼｭｳｻｸ（浦和レッズ）
林　彰洋　ﾊﾔｼｱｷﾋﾛ（サガン鳥栖）

DF
水本　裕貴ﾐｽﾞﾓﾄﾋﾛｷ（サンフレッチェ広島）
長友　佑都ﾅｶﾞﾄﾓﾕｳﾄ（インテル・ミラノ／イタリア）
森重　真人ﾓﾘｼｹﾞﾏｻﾄ（ＦＣ東京）
吉田　麻也ﾖｼﾀﾞﾏﾔ（サウサンプトン／イングランド）
酒井　宏樹ｻｶｲﾋﾛｷ（ハノーファー96／ドイツ）
坂井　達弥ｻｶｲﾀﾂﾔ（サガン鳥栖）＊
酒井　高徳ｻｶｲｺﾞｳﾄｸ（VfBシュツットガルト／ドイツ）
松原　健ﾏﾂﾊﾞﾗｹﾝ（アルビレックス新潟）＊

MF
長谷部　誠ﾊｾﾍﾞﾏｺﾄ（アイントラハト・フランクフルト／ドイツ）
細貝　萌　ﾎｿｶﾞｲﾊｼﾞﾒ（ヘルタ・ベルリン／ドイツ）
田中　順也　ﾀﾅｶｼﾞｭﾝﾔ（スポルティング／ポルトガル）
森岡　亮太　ﾓﾘｵｶﾘｮｳﾀ（ヴィッセル神戸）＊
扇原　貴宏　ｵｳｷﾞﾊﾗﾀｶﾋﾛ（セレッソ大阪）
柴崎　岳　ｼﾊﾞｻｷｶﾞｸ（鹿島アントラーズ）

FW
岡崎　慎司　ｵｶｻﾞｷｼﾝｼﾞ（1.FSVマインツ05／ドイツ）
本田　圭佑　ﾎﾝﾀﾞｹｲｽｹ（ACミラン／イタリア）
柿谷　曜一朗　ｶｷﾀﾆﾖｳｲﾁﾛｳ（FCバーゼル1893／スイス）
大迫　勇也　ｵｵｻｺﾕｳﾔ（1.FCケルン／ドイツ）
皆川　佑介　ﾐﾅｶﾞﾜﾕｳｽｹ（サンフレッチェ広島）＊
武藤　嘉紀　ﾑﾄｳﾖｼﾉﾘ（ＦＣ東京）＊

※「＊」は日本代表初選出。