In the first match of the J League World Challenge, Kawasaki Frontale’s game against Chelsea ended with a surprising victory of the Japanese team.
Kawasaki’s Brazilian star Leandro Damião, who transferred to the team during this year, scored just before the end of the game.
The goal was created by a short corner. After regaining the second ball inside the area, Nakamura Kengo attracted three Chelsea players towards him, made a very intelligent pass to the far post for the Brazilian’s headed effort. This would turn out to be the only game of the match, and the J League title holders triumphed over the Blues.
Here are three things I noticed about the two teams.
1 – Kawasaki Frontale’s Win Was No Accident
For Kawasaki, this game showed the difference in the level of European and Japanese football.
This is not something that you can resolve with tactic. Soccer story speaks itself.
Anyway, this game showed also that football is not only about skills. Spirit and not giving up until the end of the match is also incredibly important.
After the game, Kawasaki Frontale coach Oniki Toru described the importance of the game. Stressing his worry that Chelsea may approach the game with a ‘friendly match mentality,’ he ensured that his side gave their best from the start, and believes that this result will bring a lot of confidence for the players.
2 – Chelsea’s Attack Well Below Par
Despite playing better than the Japanese team, Chelsea failed to finalize some clear opportunities.
With the transfer of the former Chelsea star Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, the attacking talent of the team has decreased incredibly.
Last season, the Belgium international scored 21 goals and 17 assists across all competitions, showing his importance on Chelsea’s setup.
During the game, there were a lot of good chances for the Blues, including some bad misses inside the box.
3 – Strong Debut From Pulisic
The most expensive American player in history Christian Pulisic made his first appearance in the Chelsea uniform.
He joined the game in the 65th during the second half and he made a positive contribution by changing the flow of the game.
His running on the left side of the pitch showed his potential. I think supporters should very looking forward to his future.
This game raises some interesting questions. Are Chelsea ready for the upcoming season, and what is happening to the quality gap between European and Japanese football? Hopefully we can find some answers to these in the future.