The Peninsula
Asian giants Japan yesterday hit the training pitch at the Al Sadd Sports Club as they gear up for their opening match against four-time champions Germany at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
The Samurai Blue were the first to arrive in Qatar on November 7, with their coaching staff and officials first to touch down in the capital.
Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu, who has set a target of reaching the quarter-finals, has mostly selected Europe-based players in his 26-man squad.
While Japan’s Europe-bound players will be arriving in Qatar after the final round of European league matches, veteran FC Tokyo defender Yuto Nagatomo and other J-League players arrived on Thursday.
Nagatomo, the 36-year-old defensive stalwart arrived along with Shonan Bellmare forward Shuto Machino, who was called up late as an injury replacement, and four other domestic league players – Shogo Taniguchi, Miki Yamane, Yuki Soma, and Shuichi Gonda – traveling from Japan.
After their opening Group E match on November 23 at the Khalifa International Stadium, Japan will meet Costa Rica on November 27 at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium and will play their last group match against 2010 champions Spain on December 1 at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Before their opening match against Germany, the four-time Asian champions are also scheduled to play a warm-up match against Canada in Dubai on November 17.
The 2002 World Cup joint hosts with Korea Republic, Japan made their FIFA World Cup debut in 1998 and since then have not missed a football showpiece.
Japan’s most successful campaigns came in the 2002, 2010, and 2018 editions when they progressed beyond the group stage.
They came close to reaching the quarter-finals four years ago when they led Belgium 2-0 but a dramatic fightback saw the European win 3-2, ending Japan’s campaign.
Japan - Team profile
Best World Cup performance: Last 16 in 2002, 2010, and 2018
Other honours: Asian Cup winners 1992, 2000, 2004, and 2011
FIFA ranking: 24
How they qualified: Japan finished second behind Saudi Arabia in Group B in the third round of Asian qualifying
Coach: Hajime Moriyasu,
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima (Strasbourg), Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Daniel Schmidt (Sint-Truidense).
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo (Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Monchengladbach), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal), Hiroki Ito (Stuttgart).
Midfielders: Gaku Shibasaki (Leganes), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart), Junya Ito (Reims), Takumi Minamino (Monaco), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting CP), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Ritsu Doan (Freiburg), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad).
Forwards: Takuma Asano (Bochum), Daizen Maeda (Celtic), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge), Shuto Machino (Shonan Bellmare).