Akira Nishino Appreciation Thread

[Zagadka]

This guy truly makes some ruthless high-margin big decisions.

- Decides to bench and rest 6 of his starters vs. Poland, despite the team not being qualified.
- Hearing Senegal is losing to Colombia, makes a very tough (and high risk) decision to take a 1-0 loss and pass it around with no yellows. PAYS OFF !! Now his team is qualified and rested
- Goes high press vs. Belgium! gets a deserved lead and things go awry due to a freak goal...yet at 2-2, knowing his players are gassed and ET will be too hard, takes one last gamble with his huge balls of steel to win the game, and a bad corner lets him down.

What a legend !! the next Emperor !! at least he went down like a total boss. Hope he runs for president after Abe

[Cruijf]

Wouldn't say passing the ball around at 1-0 down relying on Colombia to keep a clean sheet is ballsy by any means. It's cowardly, and I'm glad his team was knocked out.

[Zagadka]

Wouldn't say passing the ball around at 1-0 down relying on Colombia to keep a clean sheet is ballsy by any means. It's cowardly, and I'm glad his team was knocked out.

It's actually very very ballsy.

Because he played a very high-risk, high-reward position. If Senegal had equalized, he would have been crucified as a loser and idiot. Same way if Japan had chased Poland and conceded a second goal on counter or maybe given a yellow card or two.

He had a huge huge huge decision to make, and he did it in a very "unusual" manner...And it worked in the end.

[Firenze]

I'd never heard of him before but I was very impressed with him this tournament.

[RealGunner]

Bring him to Europe

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