Imagine the chaos on this forum if Australia got dumped on pens by UAE in the quarter finals.

UAE will be bloody tough though. It would easy, anyone that beats Japan will be a very difficult opponent. That day break could be a crucial factor?

The Japanese alternate, known as FourTwoThreeOne, is in turmoil ATM.

Japan can not put away any of their chances, which is a long time problem for them. What was it 35 shots 1 goal, they were all over them.

If they had Cahill up front he would have had a hat trick...

Anything can happen but i feel as though we can roll them over if we start well, which we haven't all tournament. Usually the opening 20-30mins we have been at our worst.

Agree we have been very slow starters, hope for once we start the game with great urgency! But physiologically the boys would feel more confident now that Japan isn't there.

Japan were foolish not to rotate the players. I think the substitutes gave the team momentum but lacked the quality to really punish the UAE. You need your best players firing to ensure you win these tight contests.

Being there live Japan really seemed very flat, and when they pushed forward they may as well have played David Williams with the amount of missed opportunities.

Great that they've been knocked out and I really think this is now Australia's to lose, but UAE will be a big test

As we saw against China, the physical demands of playing Aust at the moment are above what the Asian teams are capable of. If we have no loose give aways at the back, we should roll the UAE in the last 20.

As we found with Roar's incredible run, its not how you start games but how you finish that usually decides the result. From all accounts, Japan were not pushing on at the end. We will!!

amazing result. Saw the highlights but missed the game

Japan had 34 shots to 3!
in the highlights it didn't look like uae's defence was well organized wsw style, so japan were probably wasteful

Can someone please explain to me why Japan got this coach? If someone can, please do. Japan's players deserve better.

I’m so happy that Japan lost.

We no longer have to put up with listening to those ridiculous, ignorant Fox Sports’ so-called pundits who constantly hype up Kagawa.

Not sure if they are simply hopelessly ignorant or lack investigative skills, or are forced to hype Kagawa by his sponsors that have lucrative arrangements with Fox Sports.

Kagawa was again pushing too forward, taking a striker’s position and neglecting his own left side midfield against UAE. The goal conceded by Japan was caused by his undisciplined positioning similar to how Japan conceded goals against Cote d'Ivoire in the WC.

Japan’s problem has always been that Kagawa has to be played no matter what.
In the current Japan National team he is supposed to play as an inside half in 4-3-3. But, he is incapable of playing the role of midfielder: for one thing his defensive skills are atrocious. The team has to cover his lack of tactical understanding, low football intelligence and physicality. Japan has better, intelligent, disciplined playmakers such as Shibasaki and Kiyotake.

Kagawa is licensed to wonder around the pitch where the ball is. He has been called by cynical Japanese football fans as a “plastic bag on the pitch” or “shark sucker” as he insists on playing in the central forward position, demanding to play near Honda, using the space strikers are supposed to use (In one Man U match RvP literally pushed Kagawa out of the penalty area like “Get the hell out of my way”. :lol: ) and neglects his assigned role.

If Japan continues operating this way, and centres on Kagawa, the national team will struggle in the WC qualifiers as Man u and the current Dortmund have done.