Outright Odds: three hundred/1
Group File Winners: sixteen/one
Japan really are a tough group to predict. Very last yr they defeat European champions Greece and gained a credible attract with Brazil in final decades Confederations Cup but their qualifying campaign was less than convincing.
They lost just when in 12 qualifying matches, absent at Iran, and topped the group overall, but they only managed to attain in excess of two plans against a severely depleted Indian side 안전놀이터 and desired last minute wins towards Oman and Korea DPR.
Such feebleness in qualification noticed the public demand manager Zicos head but The very fact they skilled with the Event will preserve the Brazilian soccer legends work In the interim. Japan arrived at the 2nd round 4 years in the past but they'll do well to reach that phase this time all around.
The 2002 marketing campaign noticed Japan defeat a dismal Russia ahead of narrowly dropping out to Turkey in the second spherical. Legend has it that then-coach Phillipe Troussier chose striker Akinori Nishizawa, who experienced not performed while in the Event, forward of normal strikers Takayuki Suzuki and Atushi Yanagisawa as it was his birthday. Definitely Zico wouldnt make this kind of miscalculation?
A UK-based mostly midfield trio of Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion) and if healthy, Shinji Ono of Feyenoord presents Japan their finest chance of results its the remainder of the team which lacks correct Intercontinental class.
The frequent strike pairing of Naohiro Takahara and Yanagisawa do not get frequent club soccer with Hamburg and Messina though the rest of the aspect is built up of residents in the vastly bettering J-League. Only 4 of your 23 players in last yrs Confederations Cup squad were being based mostly overseas.
The centre 50 percent-pairing of Gamba Osakas Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Yokohamas Yuji Nakazawa have been solid throughout a qualification campaign which conceded just 5 plans but Brazil, Croatia and Australia will give a A lot sterner test. Portsmouth flop Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, made the scapegoat just after Pompey lost four-one at your house to Leyton Orient on his debut, has highlighted in excess of eighty moments in aim for his nation.
Japan could possibly be victims of their unique current results and expectation will be terrific at this several years finals. Though there is an abundance of expertise in midfield, the crew as a whole is probably not as many as emulating their group topping exploits of four years ago and are unlikely to determine within the knockout phases.
Advised Guess
An unconvincing qualification campaign and an absence of ambitions in the two strikers means Japan can not be backed to qualify through the group. In actual fact, they might be propping up The remainder by the point the a few to start with round matches are finished and backing against them might be a much better expenditure than supporting them.
Croatia to defeat Japan @ four/5