Japan 1-0 Cameroon – Match Review

Japan have become notorious for their inability to score goals. Aside from 3-0 and 3-2 victories over relative minnows Hong Kong and Yemen, Takeshi Okada’s side had only scored two goals in 2010 before today. Okada had spoken at length of advancing Keisuke Honda, the side’s emerging talisman as Shunsuke Nakamura’s light fades, into a forward position to try and combat this ongoing drought. It worked: Honda grabbed the game’s sole goal as the first half began to wind down, breathing life into a match that had been intolerably dull prior to the midfielder’s 38th minute strike.

Paul Le Guen named a side containing several surprise selections.  The most obvious to the British viewer was the exclusion of Arsenal’s Alex Song, who was one of the London club’s finest performers last season. This was possibly least surprising of the four controversies; Cameroon have a wealth of talented defensive midfield players, and Song’s absence did not harm the side. No, the exclusions of the apparently secure first choice goalkeeper, Carlos Kameni, target man and crucial outlet Mohammadou Idrissou, and vital creative midfielder Achille Emana, were far more detrimental to the Indomitable Lions’ chances.

Both sides started sluggishly, with Cameroon being slightly on top. The early attempts of Japanese players like Honda and Yasuhito Endo to dictate proceedings led to nothing, with Japan repeatedly squandering possession unnecessarily.  The few chances the negative Cameroonian midfield created for themselves were wasted, with Samuel Eto’o forced into an unfamiliar role as an orthodox right winger. Pierre Webó and Eric Choupo-Moting, who had won a place in the side ahead of Idrissou with a fine goal in a recent warm up match, were not nearly as clinical as they should have been, and Le Guen’s decision to put Webó in particular ahead of Eto’o did not seem justified.

It was to the great benefit of the match that Stephane Mbia was caught out of position when Dalsuke Matsui lofted a left footed cross towards Souleymanou Hamidou’s far post. Honda was free to calmly control the ball, and prod it past both Hamidou and Mbia. The Marseille player is usually a centre back, so it was little surprise that he tucked in too narrowly when the cross was lofted into the box.

Only a minute earlier, Eyong Enoh had managed to get a shot away from just outside the area, but it had been easily saved by the Japanese goalkeeper, EijiKawashima. It had looked like Cameroon would finally get the highly desired breakthrough, but now they were on the back foot. Immense credit must go to the Japanese centre backs, Brazilian-born Marcus Tanaka and Yuji “Bomber” Nakazawa. The pair showed great bravery, blocking almost everything Cameroon threw at them. Nakazawa in particular stood strong in the air against Cameroon’s big side at set pieces, and later when Idrissou was introduced.

After half time, Cameroon showed their class for the only time in the match. Eto’o picked up the ball on the right wing, weaved between two defenders, stayed on his feet despite numerous fouls, and cut the ball back to Choupo-Moting. For the second time, the inexperienced striker missed the target. There was far too much elevation on his shot.

Le Guen made the change that all watching were expecting in the 63rd minute. Joel Matip, the most defensive of the three midfielders and also the one looking least like passing forwards, was removed. Jean II Makoun dropped into the holding role, and Emana was finally introduced. He did not have the desired effect. The passes to him were often intercepted; in frustration, Emana made several petty fouls, and was fortunate to escape a caution for persistently infringing the laws of the game. His one moment of genius, a perfectly weighted pass to the advancing Enoh, was ruined by Enoh’s poor pass to the overlapping Benoit Assou-Ekotto. The Tottenham full back was unable to keep the ball in play. Overall, it seemed Le Guen had been justified in leaving out his playmaker. Emana was evidently off the boil.

Both managers made further substitutions. Okada hauled off Matsui for Shinji Okazaki. The striker took a deep position on the left flank to help ward off the surging runs of the Cameroonian defenders. Le Guen responded by throwing on Idrissou and Geremi, formerly of Chelsea and Newcastle. Geremi allowed Eto’o to join Idrissou and Webo in the centre. Still the Japenese wall held firm. Although it retreated significantly, Cameroon could not breach it.

It was the man responsible for the first goal who came closest. A loose ball fell to Mbia, who took the ball forwards and onto his stronger right foot, before finally producing the Jabulani’s infamous swerve for the first time in the tournament. Kawashima was well beaten. The ball struck the crossbar and came out to Emana, who worked an opening, but hit his shot straight at the relieved goalkeeper.

Cameroon came again. Mbia worked the ball out to Geremi on the right flank. He whipped a cross in, aiming for Eto’o. It was Webo who got to it, and he forced a smart save from Kawashima. It was irrelevant. The goal would not have counted, as Eto’o was judged to have fouled his marker when he missed his header.

There is no doubt that this is a blow to Cameroon’s chances of qualifying for the knockout stages. With a tricky game against the Netherlands still to come, they have little hope remaining of progressing. By contrast, Japan go from underdogs to arguably the favourites to join the Dutch in the next round. Their tie against Denmark in a few weeks looks all important. With Denmark being possibly unfortunate to lose to the Netherlands, it is certainly wide open.

African Football, Cameroon, Group E, Japan, Keisuke Honda, Paul Le Guen, World Cup 2010