Alberto Zaccheroni’s side will play football that is easy on the eye and they’ll attract the support of the neutrals, but have they enough steel and substance to go far?
Top man
Shinji Kagawa might have only shown glimpses of what he’s capable of in two seasons at Old Trafford, but the man is a bona-fide superstar in his homeland.
Blessed with a superb touch and an eye for a killer pass, he is likely to play on the left of a three-man attacking midfield trio (that’s right Manchester United fans, it’s not only at Old Trafford that he doesn’t play directly behind the striker) and his link-up with Keisuke Honda will prove crucial if Japan are to make it out of the group.
Rising Star
The youngest player in the Japanese squad is 23 so most of their stars have risen already, but keep an eye out for said youngest player, Stuttgart’s Gotoku Sakai, a physically imposing full back who likes to get forward but might need to curb his attacking instincts in a team who could do with shoring things up at the back.
Did you know?
Every team will have their own unique way of preparing for the World Cup, especially in Brazil where conditions are likely to make great demands on the players’ fitness, but Japan’s training sessions looked particularly entertaining if the picture below is anything to go by…
If they were a TV series
Why they’d be Takeshi’s Castle, of course. Aside from the obvious fact that they’re both Japanese, they’re also fun, hugely entertaining to watch and not afraid to bring the pain when necessary. Anything is liable to happen when these guys are around…
Prediction
We’ll be rooting for them because as far as we’re concerned it’s JOE-pan all the way, but having already tipped Colombia to progress as group winners and Ivory Coast as runners-up, we reckon our boys could be destined for a disappointing group stage exit.
Ladbrokes Tournament Odds: 150/1
