Japan Dragging Down Japan

Like I’ve got nothing else to talk about, I’m going to talk about the World Cup again.
This is all because I want you to read the following, the fact that’s been bugging me ever since the Cup started.

I have written here I assume you know that Japan had lost to Australia on the first match and managed to end it a draw against Croatia. But I haven’t really told you that there is a common factor to both these matches, and that’s the hours of the match.

Among all the matches of Group F (that’s where Japan belongs) there are precisely two matches that start at 15:00 German time and those two are both matches of Japan. This would be 22:00 in Japan time.

Don’t you think this says something quite obviously, perhaps something like “it’s the easiest to get high audience rate at this time”?

I know you’re probably like, “So what? Isn’t that better cuz you don’t have to worry about the match while you work and you don’t have to stay up late at night?”

It is indeed good for us, but maybe not for the players. From what I see in the previous matches, 15:00 in Germany this time of year looks like it’s baking hot and Japanese players aren’t that tough to begin with. It’s definitely not the best time of day for them to run around and concentrate for 90 minutes.

That doesn’t mean though that I deny the lack of Japan’s decisiveness and the ability to control the match, but what made me aware of this “3 o’clock matter” was manager Zico’s interview after the match.

“Japan’s strength can’t come out under the scorching heat. Two matches under such condition was definitely not a preferable thing for Japan, but as long as the media wants it, it can’t be helped.”

He said this with a very stern expression.

With regard to World Cup Soccer, an advertising company called Dentsu dominates the broadcasting rights. If Dentsu forced the matches to be carried out at this time for the sake of audience rate… I understand that the other team (Australia and Croatia) had to play under the same condition and even that alone makes me feel unhappy, but Japan had to do this twice in a row…
I think that if my (and Zico’s) assumption is true, it’s not too much to say that all was for the benefits for the ad company and media’s money business and maybe Zico wanted to tell that too.

http://germany2006.nikkansports.com/japan/jp051210-0068.html (Japanese)
This article from last year clearly states that the hours for the two matches were intentionally changed for TV broadcasting.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/japan/5044540.stm (English)
And this article from BBC clearly shows Zico’s upset.

It’s not always a wrong thing to adjust the time so that people back in their home countries can enjoy the excitement real time.
But if the team loses because of the time adjustment… that’s what you call tail wagging the dog, huh?

GAMBARE NIPPON
(GO FOR IT JAPAN)

After hearing Zico’s comments, I don’t think I can readily accept this phrase repeatedly appearing on TV.

P.S.
None of the Japanese media really make remarks of this topic and Zico’s interview translated into Japanese is “toned down” to something blurrier.

Hmm, I know I’m supposed to introduce good sides of Japan but this isn’t really impressive. Is this something that can happen in other countries too?