SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Japan coach admits Netherlands will be tough opponents

Record ID: 456013

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL/SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Japan coach admits Netherlands will be tough opponents
  • Date: 18th June 2010
  • Summary: GEORGE, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 17, 2010) (REUTERS) JAPAN MIDFIELDER KEISUKE HONDA WALKING WITH TRAINER AT TRAINING GROUND JAPAN NATIONAL TEAM INSIGNIA AT TRAINING GROUND TRAINING GROUND JAPAN COACH TAKESHI OKADA TALKING WITH PLAYERS MORE OF OKADA WITH PLAYERS MIDFIELDER YUKI ABE AND HONDA WARMING UP PLAYERS WARMING UP HONDA AND FORWARD KISHO YANO JOGGING REPORTERS PLAYERS TRAINING GOALKEEPER EIJI KAWASHIMA TRAINING JAPAN COACH TAKESHI OKADA AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPAN COACH TAKESHI OKADA, SAYING: "Holland are very difficult opponents but we will do our very best to win." (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) DEFENDER MARCUS TULIO TANAKA, SAYING: "Holland are a very good team and they have a better past record than Japan. Winning against them will be out of the ordinary, but in a way we have a chance to win and we will try our best in the 90 minutes we have to go through." OKADA KEISUKE HONDA WALKING ON TRAINING GROUND WITH OTHER PLAYERS PHOTOGRAPHER OKADA AT TRAINING GROUND/PLAYERS IN BACKGROUND
  • Embargoed: 3rd July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA5D2RLH0M9DGD8GMIVT9O84YNN
  • Story Text: Japan coach Takeshi Okada says Saturday's World Cup Group E clash against the Netherlands will be a difficult task for his Blue Samurai.
    Japan coach Takeshi Okada admitted on Thursday (June 17) that his team had a tough challenge ahead of them when they face the Netherlands (Holland) at the weekend.
    "Holland are very difficult opponents but we will do our very best to win," Okada told reporters at the team's training ground in George, South Africa.
    Midfielder Keisuke Honda carried Japan to their first World Cup finals victory on foreign soil when he scored the goal which beat Cameroon 1-0 in a Group E match on Monday (June 14).
    Cameroon had been expected to ease to victory against an out-of-form Japan in what on paper appeared their easiest group fixture.
    Okada's Japan had other ideas and bustled their way to a deserved win to join the Netherlands as the day's Group E winners after the Dutch beat Denmark 2-0 in the early match.
    Brazilian-born defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka said although the Dutch have a better track record, Japan could still come out on top in the match in Durban on Saturday (June 19).
    "Holland are a very good team and they have a better past record than Japan. Winning against them will be out of the ordinary, but in a way we have a chance to win and we will try our best in the 90 minutes we have to go through," he told reporters.
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