Outright Odds: 300/one
Team File Winners: sixteen/one
Japan are a challenging crew to predict. Previous year they defeat European champions Greece and attained a credible draw with Brazil in very last many years Confederations Cup but their qualifying campaign was lower than convincing.
They lost just once in twelve qualifying matches, away at Iran, and topped the team All round, However they only managed to score 안전놀이터 much more than two targets towards a seriously depleted Indian facet and desired last second wins against Oman and Korea DPR.
These types of feebleness in qualification saw the general public demand supervisor Zicos head but The actual fact they qualified for your Match will help save the Brazilian soccer legends task In the intervening time. Japan attained the 2nd round 4 decades ago but they will do perfectly to achieve that phase this time about.
The 2002 campaign observed Japan defeat a dismal Russia just before narrowly losing out to Turkey in the 2nd spherical. Legend has it that then-coach Phillipe Troussier selected striker Akinori Nishizawa, who had not played within the Match, ahead of regular strikers Takayuki Suzuki and Atushi Yanagisawa as it was his birthday. Surely Zico wouldnt make such a error?
A United kingdom-primarily based midfield trio of Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion) and if in good shape, Shinji Ono of Feyenoord offers Japan their greatest probability of success its the remainder of the workforce which lacks genuine Intercontinental class.
The normal strike pairing of Naohiro Takahara and Yanagisawa tend not to get standard club soccer with Hamburg and Messina though the rest of the side is produced up of inhabitants on the vastly enhancing J-League. Only four on the 23 players in very last years Confederations Cup squad ended up primarily based abroad.
The centre half-pairing of Gamba Osakas Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Yokohamas Yuji Nakazawa ended up solid during a qualification marketing campaign which conceded just five goals but Brazil, Croatia and Australia will provide a Considerably sterner exam. Portsmouth flop Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, made the scapegoat following Pompey lost four-one in your house to Leyton Orient on his debut, has showcased about eighty periods in target for his country.
Japan may be victims of their unique modern achievement and expectation are going to be great at this many years finals. Though You can find plenty of expertise in midfield, the crew in general might not be as much as emulating their group topping exploits of 4 years back and therefore are unlikely to figure while in the knockout stages.
Suggested Wager
An unconvincing qualification marketing campaign and a lack of aims in the two strikers means Japan can't be backed to qualify from your group. The truth is, they could be propping up The remainder by the point the 3 to start with spherical matches are concluded and backing versus them could be an even better investment decision than supporting them.
Croatia to conquer Japan @ 4/five