Outright Odds: three hundred/one
Group F Winners: 16/one
Japan undoubtedly are a difficult team to predict. Final yr they defeat European champions Greece and gained a reputable attract with Brazil in very last yrs Confederations Cup but their qualifying campaign was less than convincing.
They lost just at the time in 12 qualifying matches, absent at Iran, and topped the group overall, However they only managed to attain in excess of two targets against a seriously depleted Indian aspect and essential last second wins in opposition to Oman and Korea DPR.
This kind of feebleness in qualification noticed the general public call for supervisor Zicos head but The very fact they experienced with the Match will conserve the Brazilian football legends occupation In the intervening time. Japan attained the 2nd spherical 4 years ago but they may do effectively to reach that phase this time about.
The 2002 campaign saw Japan defeat a dismal Russia just before narrowly shedding out to Turkey in the next spherical. Legend has it that then-mentor Phillipe Troussier selected striker Akinori Nishizawa, who had not played inside the tournament, in advance of regular strikers Takayuki Suzuki and Atushi Yanagisawa since it was his birthday. Definitely Zico wouldnt make this type of blunder?
A United kingdom-centered midfield trio of Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion) and when match, Shinji Ono of Feyenoord gives Japan their greatest potential for achievement its the rest of the group which lacks correct Intercontinental class.
The normal strike pairing of Naohiro Takahara and Yanagisawa will not get typical club soccer with Hamburg and Messina when the rest of the facet is created up of people on the vastly increasing J-League. Only 4 on the 23 players in previous decades Confederations Cup squad had been centered overseas.
The centre half-pairing of Gamba Osakas Tsuneyasu Miyamoto and Yokohamas Yuji Nakazawa were being stable in the course of a qualification marketing campaign which conceded just five plans but Brazil, Croatia and Australia will provide a much sterner check. Portsmouth flop Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, created the scapegoat right after Pompey misplaced 4-one at your home to Leyton Orient on his debut, has highlighted in excess of 80 moments in objective for his place.
Japan may very well be victims of their own personal latest success and expectation will probably be excellent at this many years finals. Whilst There's loads of expertise in midfield, the staff in general might not be around emulating their team topping exploits of 4 a long time back and are not likely to figure while in the knockout stages.
Advised Wager
An unconvincing qualification marketing campaign and an absence of 안전놀이터 plans from your two strikers usually means Japan cannot be backed to qualify from your team. In fact, they could be propping up the rest by the point the three 1st spherical matches are done and backing versus them may be a far better financial commitment than supporting them.
Croatia to conquer Japan @ four/five
