The following is an excerpt of Zico's news conference as Japan's coach:
"It is very disappointing that all the Asian teams failed to reach the next round, but when you compare the teams with those who reached, the difference is apparent," Zico told his final news conference Monday as Japan's coach.
"No matter who their coaches are, it is up to the players. Unless they try to catch up with top teams in the world mentally and physically, it will be very difficult in the future as well."
Zico said that Asians, and particularly the Japanese, would always be hurt by their small stature compared with other nationalities.
"Even in the future Asian qualifying rounds for the World Cup, Japan will face a lot of long crosses from behind whenever they play a team which has a height advantage," Zico said.
"The forwards of those teams are usually 190cm tall. Those of Italy and the Netherlands are also tall. When they find it is difficult to connect a ground pass, I'm sure they will send long crosses like Australia did."
This is one part of the equation which we must remedy if Malaysia wants to arrive in the World Cup as a playing team!
Malaysia to the World Cup
And this, from Dr Ramlan to theSun:
"Interesting that you raised this point. If you look at the rugby team, or hockey team, you will find doctors, lawyers and engineers, but you will never find them in the football team. You know why? I remember really fantastic football players who go off to university and get lost in their career and the nation loses that talent. This is a real paradox. You look at hockey, it is still an enthusiasts' game, run by mad people who love the game, not business people. So, when you have the passion and commitment that people like these - doctors, lawyers, engineers - have in their life, you will do well. Whereas in football, any bozo who can lift a foot can play, and this so-called popular game... its own popularity is its enemy."
Brains are the other part of the equation that need adjusting, too!
How this popular game being exploited by popular people
Popular people = KJ; Popular game = soccer
MyTeam clearly exploited the popularity of the game, without having long term plan in mind. And it does more damage to the game in this country. I doubt KJ has long term plan for his MyTeam, except begging the FAM to include them automatically to the M-League, while other clubs, states and corporate teams are struggling (to qualify from state league to premier club league to premier league to super league) with limited budget, struggling to keep pace with FAM's keep-on-changing and -manipulated M-League rules, etc. Budget-wise, how much you put it on the proposal paper, supported by the signature of the Chairman of the major shareholder, and you got what you asked for.