Outright Odds: three hundred/1
Group File Winners: 16/1
Japan can be a hard team to forecast. Very last year they defeat European champions Greece and acquired a reputable draw with Brazil in past yrs Confederations Cup but their qualifying campaign was a lot less than convincing.
They misplaced just the moment in twelve qualifying matches, away at Iran, and topped the team Total, Nonetheless they only managed to score much more than two objectives versus a severely depleted Indian aspect and wanted last second wins towards Oman and Korea DPR.
These feebleness in qualification saw the general public demand supervisor Zicos head but the fact they skilled with the tournament will help save the Brazilian soccer legends job for the time being. Japan achieved the second spherical 4 a long time ago but they may do properly to reach that stage this time all over.
The 2002 campaign saw Japan defeat a dismal Russia ahead of narrowly getting rid of out to Turkey in the 2nd round. Legend has it that then-coach Phillipe Troussier selected striker Akinori Nishizawa, who experienced not played within the Event, in advance of standard strikers Takayuki Suzuki and Atushi Yanagisawa mainly because it was his birthday. Surely Zico wouldnt make such a oversight?
A British isles-based midfield trio of Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion) and when in good shape, Shinji Ono of Feyenoord gives Japan their best prospect of achievement its the remainder of the group which lacks real Intercontinental course.
The common strike pairing of Naohiro Takahara and Yanagisawa do not get normal club soccer with Hamburg and Messina although the rest of the facet is made up of people from the vastly increasing J-League. Only four with the 23 players in very last yrs Confederations Cup squad had been primarily based abroad.
The centre 50 percent-pairing of Gamba Osakas Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Yokohamas Yuji Nakazawa ended up solid all over a qualification marketing campaign which conceded just five objectives but Brazil, Croatia and Australia will supply a A great deal sterner examination. Portsmouth flop Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, designed the scapegoat after Pompey misplaced four-one in your own home to Leyton Orient on his debut, has highlighted in excess of eighty moments in purpose for his country.
Japan can be victims of their own individual the latest success and expectation might be excellent at this yrs finals. Whilst There exists lots of expertise in midfield, the crew as a whole is probably not approximately emulating their group topping exploits of four several years ago and they are not likely to determine within the knockout stages.
Advisable Bet
An unconvincing qualification marketing campaign and an absence of goals in the two strikers suggests Japan can not be backed to qualify from your team. In fact, they could be propping up the rest by the point the three initially 안전놀이터 spherical matches are concluded and backing versus them may be a greater financial commitment than supporting them.
Croatia to defeat Japan @ four/5
