There are a lot of inane stories the football machine spits out over the course of a week. Alberto Zaccheroni and issues with North Korean customs might just take the wasabi paste for this one.

North Koreans ‘pinched Zaccheroni's mustard'

Over-zealous North Korean customs officers may have contributed to Japan's first defeat under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni earlier this week after confiscating his favourite tube of wasabi.

There are a lot of inane stories the football machine spits out over the course of a week. Alberto Zaccheroni and issues with North Korean customs might just take the wasabi paste for this one.

North Koreans ‘pinched Zaccheroni's mustard'

Over-zealous North Korean customs officers may have contributed to Japan's first defeat under Italian Alberto Zaccheroni earlier this week after confiscating his favourite tube of wasabi.

20.10.2011 - Junto a Jordania, Australia e Irán, Japón viene pisando fuerte en la (tercera fase de la) Eliminatoria mundialista (2014) de Asia (que disputan los 20 equipos clasificados para 4.5 plazas).
La goleada (8-0) sobre Tayiskistán lo consolida (al tope del grupo C) reafirmando el notable crecimiento del fútbol japonés en los últimos tiempos.

2010-2011 Recap Following many changes both in management with the appointment of newly elected president, Andrea Agnelli, followed by General manager Beppe Marotta and manager Luigi Del Neri, the trio brought no fewer than twelve new faces to the squad that had already come off from a disappointing season under former manager Ciro Ferrara, and his predecessor Alberto Zaccheroni.

If Clint Dempsey is to remain at Fulham next season, his manager will be Martin Jol.

The former Tottenham, Hamburg and Ajax coach was hired by Fulham to replace Mark Hughes on Tuesday, making him the third coach in as many seasons at Craven Cottage.

Jol did not coach this past season, a year after stepping down from Ajax, and he last coached in the Premier League in 2007 with Spurs.

Da 14° a 13°. L'Italia guadagna una posizione nella Classifica Fifa per nazionali. Un passo dunque in avanti (anzi in alto) per la nazionale di Cesare Prandelli, mentre a comandare le operazioni è sempre la Spagna, campione del Mondo in Sudafrica e dominatrice assoluta della speciale graduatoria.

Japan bagged their fourth ever Asian Cup after a nail-biting 1-0 win over Australia at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha with the winner coming courtesy of a splendid first-time volley by striker Tadanari Lee...

Japan bagged their fourth ever Asian Cup after a nail-biting 1-0 win over Australia at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha with the winner coming courtesy of a splendid first-time volley by striker Tadanari Lee.

DOHA, Qatar— Jubilant three-time champions Japan reached the Asian Cup final after defeating arch-rivals South Korea 3-0 in a nail-biting penalty shootout on Tuesday. Centre-back Yasuyuki Konno netted the decisive penalty, steering the ball into the right-hand side of the goal, after Koo Ja-Cheol, Lee Yong-Rae and Hong Jeong-Ho had all failed from 12 yards [.

He's one of the most in-demand players in Europe, plays as an attacking talent for Japan and proved decisive in their 3-2 quarter-final win over hosts Qatar at the Asian Cup.
And his name is not Keisuke Honda.
Japan relied heavily on Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa to see off the stubborn Qataris in a pulsating quarter-final, as the diminutive playmaker scored twice and set up the winner for Masahiko Inoha in a come-from-behind victory.

DOHA, Qatar — Three-time champions Japan have long expected to face South Korea at the Asian Cup and are ready for a tough semi-final with their old cross-strait rivals. South Korea edged Iran 1-0 on Saturday with a 105th-minute winner from substitute Yoon Bit-Garam to book a last-four clash with the Blue Samurai, who struggled [.

DOHA, Qatar — A dramatic last-minute goal from defender Masahiko Inoha saw 10-man Japan twice come from behind to snatch a 3-2 win over heartbroken hosts Qatar in their Asian Cup quarter-final on Friday. Inoha struck in the 90th minute at a nearly full Al Gharafa Stadium to keep alive Japan's bid for a fourth [.

2,022. That was the attendance figure announced when Japan faced off against Saudi Arabia at Al-Rayyan stadium, and the symbolism drew a smattering of applause from the 800 or so fans actually in attendance.
Evidently the Asian Cup is not a widespread crowd-puller. With most Saudi fans on the first bus back to Jeddah as soon as the whistle blew on their second group-stage defeat, it's clear most of the Saudi players wished they'd taken the same route.

DOHA, Qatar — Shinji Okazaki scored a hat trick and Ryoichi Maeda struck twice to give Japan a 5-0 victory over Saudi Arabia on Monday and a place in the quarterfinals of the Asian Cup. Japan will play host Qatar on Friday after completely dominating its last Group B match. "We improved with every game [.

DOHA, Qatar — Ten-man Japan struggled past Syria 2-1 in a high-octane and controversial Asian Cup group match Thursday to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout rounds. Captain Makoto Hasebe opened the scoring for the three-time champions in the 35th minute but Syria pulled one back from a penalty controversially awarded against goalkeeper [.

An Italian walks into a bar in Tokyo and asks for a local brew, but not wishing to disappoint, the barman discreetly pours the visitor a Peroni instead.

It's a plausible scenario in a country like Japan, where citizens are eager to please and equally desperate to avoid criticism.

Perhaps that's why the Japanese press were quick to turn a blind eye to another poor performance from the Samurai Blue at the Asian Cup in Qatar, as Alberto Zaccheroni's men laboured to a 2-1 win over a spirited but technically inferior Syria.

DOHA, Qatar — A 92nd minute goal by Maya Yoshida saved three-time champions Japan from a shock defeat at the hands of underdogs Jordan as the two sides drew 1-1 in their opening Asian Cup match Sunday. Hasan Abdel Fattah's shot on the stroke of half-time ricochetted off VVV Venlo defender Yoshida into the net [.

DOHA, Qatar — Japan's World Cup hero Keisuke Honda is ready to orchestrate attacking football against largely defensive rivals at the Asian Cup, as the Blue Samurai aim for a record fourth continental title. "My personal goal and the team's goal are one and the same. We are targetting the title no matter who we [.

We asked four Soccerphile writers for their picks for the 2011 Asian Cup, which kicks off today.
First Seoul-based K-League cognoscente John Duerden: It's an open competition but I have a feeling for Saudi Arabia.
This is a team that could either do terribly or go all the way.