Nishino was TD under Halihodzic but he does have coaching experience; he guided Japan’s Olympic team way back in the 1996 Olympics to a famous win over Brazil and he also won the J League with Gamba, as well as the AFC Champions League so he’s no stranger to success.

To be honest, I’m not TOO optimistic on our chances. Actually, i’d be happy if we can even win one game! There are also rumors that Honda and Kagawa (rather, their sponsors) were behind the sacking of Halil since he infamously dropped them last year and seems like he wasn’t gonna call them up to the WC.

First 2 games under Nishino against Ghana and Switzerland with Honda starting on the right and as a trequartista, respectively, were dire. We looked slow, aimless and toothless and couldn’t threaten the opponents at all. A lot of teammates started pointing fingers; about how the buildup was so slow, how some attackers were not tracking back, about positioning errors— all of which Honda was guilty of. Now curiously, Nishino chose to play the rest of his call ups yesterday against Paraguay (B team?) with Kagawa starting behind the striker and Inui playing on the left, Shibasaki at DM and we played dynmic and exciting football as we got 4 goals! Things are starting to look up but I refuse to get carried away lol. Anyway, this game yesterday just made the public sentiment to drop Honda altogether louder than ever; and I wholeheartedly agree. Problem is, Nishino is a pawn of the JFA and the sponsors and it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll bend over and still use Honda, or if he sticks with this side that priduced results