After Japan’s national team crashed out of the World Cup in the round of 32, the Japan Football Association decided to extend manager Hajime Moriyasu’s contract for another six months. Commentator Sergio Echigo slammed the decision, saying it’s because “the association doesn’t want to admit failure,” while on 5ch, reactions split between those defending the result as “exactly what was expected” and those pointing out it’s actually a step backward from Japan’s 1-win-2-draw-1-loss record at the Qatar tournament.
Despite setting “winning it all” as the goal, Japan’s national team saw its World Cup end in the round of 32. Soon after, the Japan Football Association decided to extend manager Hajime Moriyasu’s contract for six months. The familiar pundit Sergio Echigo has voiced strong unease over the current situation, where neither the decision-making process nor any real public debate about it seems to be surfacing.
[Since when did personnel decisions for the Japan national team manager get this soft?]
A six-month contract extension for manager Hajime Moriyasu. Both the Japan Football Association’s call and the public’s reaction to it just feel completely off to me.
Source: sportiva.shueisha.co.jp / Read the original article here
It's not really a failure, it's exactly the result everyone expected, so honestly that's plenty satisfying.
There's no way Japanese athletes can beat teams like Brazil physically anyway.
There's no way Japanese athletes can beat teams like Brazil physically anyway.
Going on TV acting like some kind of hero —
this guy's
completely
delusional.
this guy's
completely
delusional.
He's the only sane voice left in the whole Japanese soccer commentary scene.
>>9
If that were true, he'd have actually delivered results
back when he himself was involved with Japanese soccer.
If that were true, he'd have actually delivered results
back when he himself was involved with Japanese soccer.
Rankings can swing on the luck of the draw, so who cares about that.
All I care about is whether we can actually compete with the powerhouse nations.
All I care about is whether we can actually compete with the powerhouse nations.
Sergio,
are you planning to spend your whole life just holding a grudge against Japanese soccer?
are you planning to spend your whole life just holding a grudge against Japanese soccer?
Wouldn't he have avoided getting bashed if he'd just stepped down with a "thanks for the memories" send-off instead?
They only managed one win. Nobody's properly calling that out. It's fine to aim for the title, but then you have to judge the results strictly. No real review gets done, they just report the good parts. Of course the team isn't going to get stronger this way — and even the Asian qualifiers have gotten soft too.
>>13
It was 1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss —
that's actually a step down from the 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss at the Qatar World Cup.
It was 1 win, 2 draws, 1 loss —
that's actually a step down from the 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss at the Qatar World Cup.
Ancelotti got to keep his job too though.
Old man Sergio, dropping one of his rare dead-on takes.
>>21
Well, it's o-only been six months, so…
>>21
Well, it's o-only been six months, so…
>>1
Everyone thinks these past 8 years have been a failure, but to spin it as a "success," they keep Moriyasu on and force whoever takes over next to double up on the Olympics too — that's the state of Japanese soccer right now. And it's not just the association; everyone who goes on TV says the same thing.
Everyone thinks these past 8 years have been a failure, but to spin it as a "success," they keep Moriyasu on and force whoever takes over next to double up on the Olympics too — that's the state of Japanese soccer right now. And it's not just the association; everyone who goes on TV says the same thing.
>>28>>80
Sergio's been criticizing the media's approach for ages too,
but the broadcasters' attitude still hasn't improved to this day.
2014/07/05
[Soccer] Sergio Echigo: the crushing defeat wasn't unexpected. Fans misled by sales-driven media wrongly believed Japan could win
https://hayabusa3.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/mnewsplus/1404487440/
> Japan's actual level is such that just getting out of the group stage would be a good outcome — nowhere near a level where you can talk about "winning it all."
> They were only beating weaker teams in Asia-level matches or exhibition games where the box office came first, yet sales-driven media hyped it up without giving any fair assessment.
> Fans misled by that ended up wrongly believing Japan could actually win.
> The World Cup is a stage where you can't fake it. The real ability the media had been hiding got exposed.
> The media's job isn't cheerleading, it's critique. If they want Japanese soccer to get stronger, they should actually do the job they're supposed to do.
Sergio's been criticizing the media's approach for ages too,
but the broadcasters' attitude still hasn't improved to this day.
2014/07/05
[Soccer] Sergio Echigo: the crushing defeat wasn't unexpected. Fans misled by sales-driven media wrongly believed Japan could win
https://hayabusa3.5ch.io/test/read.cgi/mnewsplus/1404487440/
> Japan's actual level is such that just getting out of the group stage would be a good outcome — nowhere near a level where you can talk about "winning it all."
> They were only beating weaker teams in Asia-level matches or exhibition games where the box office came first, yet sales-driven media hyped it up without giving any fair assessment.
> Fans misled by that ended up wrongly believing Japan could actually win.
> The World Cup is a stage where you can't fake it. The real ability the media had been hiding got exposed.
> The media's job isn't cheerleading, it's critique. If they want Japanese soccer to get stronger, they should actually do the job they're supposed to do.
It's honestly funny to call it "round of 32" when 48 countries took part.
It's like some minor sport's international meet where 12 athletes competed and someone placed 8th, so it counts as "making the finals," or 4 entered and 3rd place counts as a medal.
Just getting to compete on the international stage at all is impressive enough in a lot of ways, though.
It's like some minor sport's international meet where 12 athletes competed and someone placed 8th, so it counts as "making the finals," or 4 entered and 3rd place counts as a medal.
Just getting to compete on the international stage at all is impressive enough in a lot of ways, though.
>>30
Now that I think about it, even proportionally this isn't better than finishing 16th out of 32 countries, is it?
Now that I think about it, even proportionally this isn't better than finishing 16th out of 32 countries, is it?
>>25
After Japanese soccer went pro, it followed the South American style,
and Sergio served as the bridge to South America.
But around the Falcão era the results were so bad
that it got switched to the European style, so he got phased out.
After Japanese soccer went pro, it followed the South American style,
and Sergio served as the bridge to South America.
But around the Falcão era the results were so bad
that it got switched to the European style, so he got phased out.
>>40
Results of what, exactly?
Makes no sense.
Results of what, exactly?
Makes no sense.
Drew with a slightly stronger Netherlands, beat a weaker Tunisia, drew with an evenly matched Sweden, and lost to a stronger Brazil.
Isn't that just exactly the result you'd expect?
Isn't that just exactly the result you'd expect?
>>49
The goal was winning it all, so that's not "exactly as expected" at all.
The goal was winning it all, so that's not "exactly as expected" at all.
>>48
"Results of what" —
they didn't even get through qualifying, did they?
"Results of what" —
they didn't even get through qualifying, did they?
>>50
Qualifying for what? By your logic, you could just as well say the team got stronger because Sergio started criticizing them.
Ridiculous.
Qualifying for what? By your logic, you could just as well say the team got stronger because Sergio started criticizing them.
Ridiculous.
It's genuinely hilarious that just scraping through a lukewarm group stage gets you treated like a national hero in Japan lol
Is Sergio really the only one saying "Didn't you say you were going to win it all?! Round of 32 — are you kidding me?!"…
Is Sergio really the only one saying "Didn't you say you were going to win it all?! Round of 32 — are you kidding me?!"…
>>56
Back when Sergio was on the strengthening committee,
Japan couldn't even get through that "lukewarm" qualifying stage.
Back when Sergio was on the strengthening committee,
Japan couldn't even get through that "lukewarm" qualifying stage.
This old man still believes Japan can get stronger.
That's sweet and all,
but honestly Moriyasu is just the right fit for Japan.
That's sweet and all,
but honestly Moriyasu is just the right fit for Japan.
>>65
He's not remotely "the right fit," though.
He's not remotely "the right fit," though.
Go say something about Brazil too — they only made it to the round of 16.
>>68
Exactly.
So it's not that the group draw was tough —
round of 32 was simply the expected result.
In other words, a step backward, a regression.
Exactly.
So it's not that the group draw was tough —
round of 32 was simply the expected result.
In other words, a step backward, a regression.
The cost of hiring a big-name foreign manager just keeps climbing while the yen keeps weakening to an absurd degree,
so it's not like they can just swap managers easily.
so it's not like they can just swap managers easily.
>>70
The players themselves are already playing abroad lol.
Doesn't even need to be a foreign manager lol.
All he does is hold the team spirit together lol
current manager and all that lol lol
The players themselves are already playing abroad lol.
Doesn't even need to be a foreign manager lol.
All he does is hold the team spirit together lol
current manager and all that lol lol
Properly reviewing things and then stepping down is important,
but realistically the association probably just doesn't have the connections or the bandwidth to line up the next candidate while the current manager is still in the job.
but realistically the association probably just doesn't have the connections or the bandwidth to line up the next candidate while the current manager is still in the job.
>>76
They loudly declared they were aiming to win it all, only managed one win in the group stage, still couldn't get a single win in the knockout round as usual, and didn't even make the round of 16 — yet somehow the manager gets a six-month extension and the coaching staff stays exactly the same. Who's doing this "review," and how? There's no accountability story here at all.
They loudly declared they were aiming to win it all, only managed one win in the group stage, still couldn't get a single win in the knockout round as usual, and didn't even make the round of 16 — yet somehow the manager gets a six-month extension and the coaching staff stays exactly the same. Who's doing this "review," and how? There's no accountability story here at all.
Media: "Japan is strong! We can win!" → gets knocked out in an ugly loss → "thanks for the memories"
I'm so sick of this pattern already 😗
I'm so sick of this pattern already 😗
Japan still gets that "thanks for the memories, you did great" treatment just for getting through the group stage.
If you're an actual powerhouse nation, the bare minimum is the quarterfinals.
A Brazilian friend of mine was pretty down about it too —
like, "seriously, a close match against Japan of all teams?"
If you're an actual powerhouse nation, the bare minimum is the quarterfinals.
A Brazilian friend of mine was pretty down about it too —
like, "seriously, a close match against Japan of all teams?"
>>86
For a long time "get through qualifying" and "get through the group stage" were treated as the goal itself, so people just aren't used to what comes after that.
It's also not great that the media goes all-out chasing ratings over something as minor as the group stage — honestly, they might as well not even broadcast it.
For a long time "get through qualifying" and "get through the group stage" were treated as the goal itself, so people just aren't used to what comes after that.
It's also not great that the media goes all-out chasing ratings over something as minor as the group stage — honestly, they might as well not even broadcast it.
I mean, a failure's a failure, but the team actually did pretty well considering Mitoma, Minamino, and Endo were all unavailable.
I think a lot of people would've accepted it even going winless and crashing out in the group stage.
I think a lot of people would've accepted it even going winless and crashing out in the group stage.
Anyway, recent World Cups just aren't fun anymore.
I'd rather see exciting matches than just wins and losses.
I'd rather see exciting matches than just wins and losses.
>>111
The US-hosted tournament was actually the most entertaining one in recent years though.
The final itself was a trash game,
but isn't that basically the default for every other tournament too?
Argentina and all that,
plus Trump's political meddling —
it's been a while since a tournament was this entertaining lol
The US-hosted tournament was actually the most entertaining one in recent years though.
The final itself was a trash game,
but isn't that basically the default for every other tournament too?
Argentina and all that,
plus Trump's political meddling —
it's been a while since a tournament was this entertaining lol
*This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Soccer] Sergio Echigo: “The association doesn’t want to admit the World Cup round-of-32 exit was a failure. That’s why manager Hajime Moriyasu got a six-month extension.”“
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