Team : Japan
Japan
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Nickname :
Although the team does not have an official nickname as such, it is often known by the name of the manager. Recently the team has been known or nicknamed as the “Samurai Blue”.
Kits:
Japan’s current uniforms are provided by Adidas, the team’s official apparel sponsor. The home kit consists of a blue jersey with a red square on the neck and feather designs, white shorts, and blue socks. The away kit consists of a white jersey, blue shorts, and white socks.
Home Kit
Away Kit
Fifa Ranking: 45
Group :
Japan have been drawn in Group E alongside Denmark, Netherlands and Cameroon.
Squad Preview :
Japan coach Takeshi Okada took few risks in naming his country’s 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa. Europe-based quartet Makoto Hasebe, Keisuke Honda, Daisuke Matsui and Takayuki Morimoto have all been included, alongside Shunsuke Nakamura and reigning AFC Asian Player of the Year Yasuhito Endo.
Japan squad
Head Coach
| Goalkeepers | - |
| Seigo Narazaki | Nagoya Grampus |
| Eiji Kawashima | Kawasaki Frontale |
| Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi | Jubilo Iwata |
| Defenders | - |
| Markus Tulio Tanaka | Nagoya Grampus |
| Yuji Nakazawa | Yokohama F Marinos |
| Atsuto Uchida | Kashima Antlers |
| Yuto Nagatomo | FC Tokyo |
| Taiki Iwamasa | Kashima Antlers |
| Yuichi Komano | Jubilo Iwata |
| Yasuyuki Konno | FC Tokyo |
| Midfielders | - |
| Shunsuke Nakamura | Yokohama F Marinos |
| Yasuhito Endo | Gamba Osaka |
| Makoto Hasebe | Wolfsburg (GER) |
| Keisuke Honda | CSKA Moscow (RUS) |
| Yuki Abe | Urawa Reds |
| Junichi Inamoto | Kawasaki Frontale |
| Kengo Nakamura | Kawasaki Frontale |
| Daisuke Matsui | Grenoble (FRA) |
| Forwards | - |
| Keiji Tamada | Nagoya Grampus |
| Shinji Okazaki | Shimizu S-Pulse |
| Takayuki Morimoto | Catania (ITA) |
| Yoshito Okubo | Vissel Kobe |
| Kisho Yano | Albirex Niigata |
Expected Line up:
1.Siero Narazaki(gk)
Nakamura
2.Atusto Uchida(RB)
3.Yuki Nakazawa(CB)
4.Marcus Tulio Tanaka(CB)
5.Yuto Nagatomo(LB)
6.Shunsuke NAkamura(RM)
7.Makoto Hasebe(CM)
8.Yasuhito Endo (CM)
9.Keisuke Honda(LM)
10.Keiji Tamada(LF)
11.Shinji Okazaki(RF)
Chances:
Back in the Japan dugout after leading the side at France 1998, Takeshi Okada had to rebuild the side and bring through a new generation of players. Through to the main event for the fourth time, the Samurai Blue travel as winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, and they proved in qualifying that they can harbour serious hopes of progression to the Round of 16. Eliminated after the group stage in 2006, Japan will look to two players tasting success in Europe to improve on that showing in South Africa: Shunsuke Nakamura and youngster Keisuke Honda.
Qualified without too much difficulty but a young side, augmented by the experience of the likes of Espanyol playmaker Nakamura, are unlikely to get beyond the first stage.
