Monday, May 28, 2007

GLASGOW, Scotland (Kyodo) Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura made another major contribution as Celtic beat Dunfermline 1-0 to win the Scottish Cup final on Saturday.

Nakamura instigated the move that led to Cameroon defender Jean-Joel Perrier Doumbe striking the winner five minutes from time to complete a Scottish League and Cup double for the Hoops.

"It's all about results and we have won the double and won it well," said Nakamura, whose outstanding season earned him both the Scottish Player of the Year and Scottish Football Writers' Player of the Year awards.

"Their (Dunfermline's) legs started to tire with about 10 minutes to go so I thought chances would come our way."

Playmaker Nakamura admitted tough marking had left him hurting after the game and hoped bruising in his right leg would clear up by the time he arrives back in Japan for the national team's upcoming friendlies with Colombia and Montenegro.

"Thanks (to the marking) I have got a bit of a bruised right leg. I just hope the bruising is not still there I get back to Japan," said Nakamura, who was set to leave for home on Sunday.

Swiss-based defensive midfielder Koji Nakata and Nagoya Grampus Eight goalkeeper Seigo Narazaki have both won their first Japan call-ups since last summer's World Cup finals for the upcoming friendlies against Montenegro and Colombia.

Coach Ivica Osim on Sunday also named Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara to a 27-man party but there was no inclusion in the squad for Galatasaray's Junichi Inamoto.

Urawa Reds defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka misses out through injury, as does Gamba Osaka winger Akira Kaji.

Japan faces Montenegro in Shizuoka on Friday and then takes on Colombia on June 5 in Saitama in their final warm-up for their defense of the Asian Cup beginning in July.

Japan will be gunning for its third consecutive continental crown at the July 7-29 event to be jointly hosted by Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Osim's men have been drawn against 2006 Asian Games gold medalists Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

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