"Miroslav Antic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Japan beats Yugoslavia The 1-0 victory gives the national team the Kirin Cup crown. Asahi Shimbun News Service By JEREMY WALKER July 5, 2001 OITA-A young player with a long international career ahead of him upstaged a veteran in his final game for his country as Japan beat Yugoslavia 1-0 to lift the Kirin Cup at Oita Stadium on Wednesday night. Junichi Inamoto, a 21-year-old midfielder from Gamba Osaka, scored the only goal of the game and deservedly picked up the Man of the Match award for his energetic display on a hot and humid evening. It was Inamoto's first goal for Japan in his 22nd appearance, and he should be a mainstay of the national team for the next two World Cups at least. Victory for Japan meant a sad farewell to Yugoslavia's 36-year-old captain Dragan Stojkovic, who was playing his 84th and final match for his country before retiring from international soccer after playing in two World Cups. He will hang up his boots for good on July 21 after his club team Nagoya Grampus Eight complete their first-stage fixtures in the J.League. Stojkovic was clearly second best on the night, though, as was his team, as the young Japanese continued their impressive form. Inamoto, rumored to be joining Arsenal in the English Premier League, was at the center of everything, and his first senior goal for his country was well worth waiting for. In the 21st minute, Inamoto collected a short pass from fellow midfielder Shinji Ono. Moving forward, he exchanged passes with Atsushi Yanagisawa before driving an unstoppable right-foot shot past Sasa Stevanovic in the Yugoslav goal. That would be enough to win the game, and give Japan a maximum six points after beating Paraguay 2-0 at Sapporo on Sunday. With six minutes of injury time, both teams had chances to add to the tally in the closing stages as the play became ragged, but Inamoto just never stopped running to keep his team in control. As for Stojkovic, it was an emotional occasion but not a memorable match, as he clearly was running on empty for much of the second half and wasn't even taking the free kicks that came Yugoslavia's way around the box as Japan's defense committed too many fouls. The day before the game, national coach Philippe Troussier said his days in the laboratory experimenting with players was over, and he proved this by fielding a first-choice lineup for a match he described as a final. Ryuzo Morioka was given the captain's arm band after goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi led the team against Paraguayo, and the central defender had to be alert early on with a couple of timely clearances. One of these came from Yugoslavia's left-winger Aleksandar Zivkovic, well known to the Japan players as a member of the Jubilo Iwata squad. Although Japan went in 1-0 up at the break, Yugoslavia had threatened to score on a number of occasions. On 28 minutes, Kawaguchi dived smartly to his right to parry a low drive from Goran Trobok, and scrambled to gather the loose ball as Petar Divic moved in menacingly. Six minutes later Kawaguchi was called on again, saving well from Igor Bogdanovic after the big center forward turned neatly near the penalty spot and sent a shot skidding toward the corner of the net. At the other end, Japan produced some lovely flowing football, with the darting Hiroaki Morishima, always a threat through the middle and Yanagisawa a tower of strength in leading the line. Ono, who is thriving in his role on the left flank, despite being regarded as Hidetoshi Nakata's understudy as the central playmaker, produced a buzz of excitement every time he touched the ball, and looked just as accomplished and in control when in possession as the retiring master Stojkovic. Troussier decided to bolster the defense in the second half, and replaced Ono with the more combative Toshihiro Hattori on the left flank. Hattori was nowhere to be seen, though, on the hour mark when Stojkovic broke clear down the right and crossed low into the box, where Naoki Matsuda was on hand to clear the danger. The fans wanted to see another new faceduring the second half and called for Nozomi Hiroyama to be introduced, but Troussier is not known for bowing to public pressure. Japan's best chance to score in the second half came in the 63rd minute, when Morioka swept a glorious pass out to the unmarked Yasuhiro Hato on the right flank. When Hato crossed low into the box, Morishima's diving header deflected off a defender into the path of Takayuki Suzuki, whose far-post shot thudded into the legs of keeper Sasa Stevanovic. A few minutes later, Suzuki broke free through the middle but his delicate chip struck the post and rolled wide. http://www.asahi.com/english/asahi/0705/asahi070515.html Miroslav Antic, http://www.antic.org/ Serbian News Network - SNN [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.antic.org/
