FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template
At 21, he has taken over from veteran striker Kazuyoshi Miura as the pin-up of the J-League-hounded by screaming young girls and outshining the nation’s galaxy of baseball and sumo stars. But the Bellmare Hiratsuka midfielder rarely offers candid views to reporters. The J-League commission has chided him for refusing to sign autographs for supporters.
Now, France 98 will be a chance for Nakata to prove if he is really a playmaker of global calibre or just an X-generation brat spoiled by media hype. “I want to see for myself where I stand in the world,” Nakata has told one of his few favourite sportswriters. In fact, he played-without creating anything-in an All-Star match at the World Cup draw in Marseille last December, only seven months after he made his international debut in a friendly against South Korea. Nakata perhaps got the All-Star spot as a token for Japan’s co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup finals with South Korea.
The Japanese, who has idolised Dutch legend Johan Cruyff and copied Fiorentina’s attacking midfielder Rui Costa, is also noted for eagle-eyed vision as well as dribbling skills. He has scored six goals in 20 internationals. He set up all three goals when Japan beat Iran 3-2 in Malaysia to clinch the third Asian spot in the World Cup finals. But his aggressiveness has at times gone astray, frustrating Brazilian-born Hiratssuka teammate Wagner Lopes with overhit passes. However, his killer instincts will be a factor should Japan, as expected, be forced to play a defensive game against two-time champions Argentina or Croatia in their first-round group. “We’d be better advised not to think of trying to hold out for scoreless draws and exploit our goal-scoring instincts,” Nakata said. “This way, we’ll learn exactly how far we are behind the world’s powerhouses.”