Japanese flavour helping Eagles fly
THEY have lost one Japanese star but the Asian influence remains strong at Nerang as they set their sights on the Gold Coast Premier League’s top four.
Tipped by many in preseason to challenge for this year’s crown, the Eagles are starting to hit their stride after crawling out of the blocks in the opening rounds of the campaign. Their laststart 5-0 thrashing of Tweed United on April 27 was their third win in four games, leaving them equal-fourth with a game in hand ahead of today’s 5pm trip to Mudgeeraba.
Key to their revival has been Japanese attackers Koki Miyasaka and Koji Kato, who have scored five goals between them in the last two games, including a Kato hattrick against Tweed.
The pair’s form surge has helped cover the absence of countryman Kazuma Kobayashi, who joined Nerang in the off-season only to depart last month in search of opportunities at a higher level.
Eagles coach Dave Benigno said a decision for Miyasaka and Kato to swap positions, to the wing and No.10 respectively, had paid immediate dividends against Tweed.
“Let it be no secret, we’ve lost Kazuma now and we wish him all the best as he steps out from the club,” Benigno said.
“Koki was unstoppable against Mudgeeraba (in a 4-3 win on April 18) and then Koji approached me at training afterwards asking if he could play in his favourite position, which I haven’t put him in yet.
“That may be where he needs to go because to respond to the coach by not only saying thanks, but here’s three goals on top, well it doesn’t get much better than that.”
With today’s visit to Sid Bigg Park now looming, Kato said he was eager to build on his recent success against the Wallabies.
“Where I usually play is on the left wing but (against Tweed) I was put in to play the position of the No.10 … so I put in my best effort and by the end I had three goals, which was really satisfying.
“The next game is really important for us. It’s where we will see if we can come back and I’m looking forward to it.”
Surfers Paradise and Tweed United kicked off Round 9 at Lex Bell Oval last night.