Booters brace for Japanese challenge

Bangladesh captain Mamunul Islam (2nd from L) shares a light moment with his teammates during a training session at the BUET ground yesterday, ahead of today's friendly match against Japan U-21s. Photo: Star

Presuming that Bangladesh would play with a five-man backline, the Japan U-21 team trained at the match venue yesterday evening by building up the game from the two flanks, indicating that they are keen on playing aggressive football as they take on Bangladesh national team in today's international friendly at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

The tall and well-built Japanese players were fast in attack -- through the flanks and down the middle -- as the forwards connected to low crosses regularly, finding the target.

Though hosts Bangladesh, who are going to face a Japanese age-level side for the first time having lost all five matches against Japan's senior side by big margin, have already decided to play on counter attack, the visitors are not worried about the strength of the hosts.

“Whenever we play, we play for winning. With due respect to Bangladesh, we are not thinking about the opposition, rather we are concentrating on playing our own game as this is our last overseas game before the Olympic Qualifiers,” said captain Matsubara Ken at the pre-match briefing at the BFF House yesterday.

The Japanese team management conceded that they have little knowledge about their opponents even the coach did admit that his deputy has watched video footages of some of the recent matches of Bangladesh team.

The Japan coach earmarked Ken and forwards – Suzuki Musahi, Kubo Yuya and Minamino Takumi as the best players of the team.

Bangladesh coach Saiful Bari Titu could not promise anything positive apart from learning something against Japan to exploit it in future.

“We watched the video footages of the Japan team's recent match against Thailand U-21, which they won 2-0. I told my players that they should not make the mistakes that Thailand made,” said the former Bangladesh international.

“The fitness level of our players is not at peak and another worry for us is that we tend to lose possession as quickly we gain it. I would like to see my players not make that mistake so that they don't get themselves under pressure,” said Titu, adding that they would try to entertain the crowd as much as possible while taking a counter-attacking strategy.

The interim coach also hinted that they might resort to a different formation from the usual 4-5-1, depending on the match situation. The most likely starting line-up could see Rasel Mahmud Liton under the bar; Nasiruddin Chowdhury and Atiqur Rahman Meshu partnered by Raihan Hasan and Yeamin Munna at the back; Mamunul Islam, Monaem Khan Raju and Jamal Bhuiyan in the middle with Zahid Hossain and Sohel Rana/Hemanta Vincent Biswas on either flank and Zahid Hasan Emily as the lone centre-forward. However, since this is a friendly match, he might make maximum substitutions available, hinted the Bangladesh coach.