Outright Odds: three hundred/1
Team F Winners: sixteen/one
Japan can be a tricky group to forecast. Past 12 months they beat European champions Greece and gained a credible draw with Brazil in previous decades Confederations Cup but their qualifying marketing campaign was lower than convincing.
They missing just the moment in 12 qualifying matches, absent at Iran, and topped the group In general, but they only managed to attain in excess of two targets from a severely depleted Indian facet and required last second wins against Oman and Korea DPR.
These feebleness in qualification noticed the general public demand supervisor Zicos head but The very fact they capable to the Match will preserve the Brazilian soccer legends occupation In the meanwhile. Japan arrived at the second spherical four decades in the past but they may do well to succeed in that phase this time all over.
The 2002 marketing campaign saw Japan defeat a dismal Russia right before narrowly getting rid of out to Turkey in the 2nd spherical. Legend has it that then-mentor Phillipe Troussier selected striker Akinori Nishizawa, who had not played while in the tournament, in advance of normal strikers Takayuki Suzuki and Atushi Yanagisawa since it was his birthday. Undoubtedly Zico wouldnt make this kind of oversight?
A United kingdom-centered midfield trio of Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion) and if in good shape, Shinji Ono of Feyenoord provides Japan their most effective chance of results its the remainder of the team which lacks genuine Intercontinental course.
The frequent strike pairing of Naohiro Takahara and Yanagisawa tend not to get regular club soccer with Hamburg and Messina though the remainder of the facet is designed up of people with the vastly improving upon J-League. Only 4 of your 23 players in last years Confederations 안전놀이터 Cup squad had been dependent overseas.
The centre 50 %-pairing of Gamba Osakas Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Yokohamas Yuji Nakazawa had been sound throughout a qualification marketing campaign which conceded just 5 plans but Brazil, Croatia and Australia will provide a Substantially sterner exam. Portsmouth flop Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, designed the scapegoat immediately after Pompey misplaced 4-1 at your house to Leyton Orient on his debut, has highlighted about 80 instances in objective for his state.
Japan may be victims of their own personal recent success and expectation are going to be fantastic at this several years finals. While There may be an abundance of talent in midfield, the team in general will not be around emulating their team topping exploits of four yrs ago and so are unlikely to determine in the knockout levels.
Encouraged Guess
An unconvincing qualification marketing campaign and an absence of ambitions in the two strikers means Japan cannot be backed to qualify from your group. Actually, they may be propping up The remainder by the point the a few 1st round matches are concluded and backing towards them could be a much better expense than supporting them.
Croatia to beat Japan @ four/5