Having impressed in the Confederations Cup, the Japanese team will be looking to continue to solidify their reputation as an emerging nation of footballing talent. Due to play matches against Greece, Colombia and the Ivory Coast, they will need to produce some of their finest football to achieve qualification from the group stages.
Predicted Lineup
Kawashima
Uchida Yoshida Konno Nagatomo
Hasebe Endo
Kiyotaki Honda Kagawa
Okazaki/Kakitani
Coach: Alberto Zaccheroni
The Key Players
Shinji Kagawa: While still struggling to establish himself at Manchester United, there is no question that the former Dortmund man has huge talent. With pace and an eye for a killer ball, Japan’s tactics of quick and fluid attacks will hinge on Kagawa.
Keisuke Honda: Another starlet that is struggling at his new home, Honda’s season at AC Milan has not seen him live up to expectations. However, much in the same vein of Kagawa, his versatility and talent will be key for Japan to take on the more physical teams they face.
Shinji Okazaki: Following in the mould of Kagawa, Okazaki recently broke Kagawa’s record for most goals scored in the Bundesliga by a Japanese player with a tally of 15 in 33 appearances. The Mainz man has had a terrific season and should be leading the line for the World Cup.
The Surprise Call-Up
Having not represented Japan at international level in 2 years, Yoshito Okubo is perhaps the shock inclusion. The 31-year-old has enjoyed a career in Europe at Mallorca and Wolfsburg and this season has been in fine scoring form with 8 goals in 12 appearances in the J league. The stocky veteran offers a bit more strength up top if required and his inclusion could be a vital factor in Japan’s World Cup.
The One to Watch
While many may think Kagawa or Honda are the players to keep an eye on, the player I will be taking a close look at is Yoichiro Kakitani. Still a possible inclusion in the starting 11, most likely in the striker role, the Cerezo playmaker/striker is looking more and more likely to make a move to Europe, with Arsenal intrigued by his ability. At 24 years of age, one would think he would be on more radars, but his career has only really been reignited in the last couple of seasons, scoring 21 goals in 34 games for Cerezo last season. While this season has been slow in terms of goals, his role has changed to supporting Diego Forlan up top which he has done with great style. As mentioned, he can be utilised either as a striker or a playmaker and his incredible display against Belgium suggests that he has the ability to shatter a few World Cup dreams.
9 years, 10 months ago
Learned a lot there. Looks like Japan has a heck of a lot of prospects, especially if priced right. Cheers.