The Hindu : Sport / Football : Lack of cutting edge up front worries Zico

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 11, 2006

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Sport - Football

Lack of cutting edge up front worries Zico

Lack of cutting edge

up front worries Zico

TOKYO: Japan coach Zico has often struggled to explain why his trigger-shy strikers seem to vanish into thin air during matches.

Frequently in the Brazilian's four years in charge, it has appeared as if his strike force had been sucked into another vortex or the victims of a body-snatching raid from space.

Zico was cursing his misfortune again after Tuesday's 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria in a friendly match in Osaka, but he could hardly put the blame on supernatural forces.

Japan's forwards, Keiji Tamada and Seiichiro Maki, both had solid games.

Maki scored a second-half equaliser to boost his claims for inclusion in the World Cup squad while Tamada's lightning pace was a constant threat.

But Japan's lack of a cutting edge in front of goal will be giving Zico serious concern just over a month before it takes on Australia in its World Cup opener on June 12.

Substitute Hristo Yanev's injury-time free kick gave the Bulgarians all three points in the first game of the three-team Kirin Cup tournament. — Reuters

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