Current FIFA Ranking 📊: 61
Previous World Cup 🏆 appearances: 5 - 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014
Best World Cup result ✨: Last 16 - 2002 and 2010
Group fixtures 📆: June 19 vs Colombia, June 24 vs Senegal, June 28 vs Poland
Captain: Makoto Hasebe
Star Player ⭐: Keisuke Honda
Head coach 👔: Akira Nishino
Preferred formation: 4-2-3-1
Qualification Route:
Japan became the Group B winners in Asian qualifying, finishing on 20 points from 10 games, just one point ahead of Saudi Arabia and Australia. Japan reached the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia after their 2-0 win against Australia on 31 August 2017 which sealed progression from Asia's Group B at the third round stage.
Past Performances:
Japan is one of the most successful teams in Asia, having qualified for the last six consecutive FIFA World Cups with second round advancements in 2002 and 2010, and having won the AFC Asian Cup a record four times, in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011. The team has also finished second in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. Their principal continental rival are South Korea and most recently, Australia.
Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa America, having been invited in 1999 and 2011. Although they initially accepted the invitation for the 2011 tournament, the JFA later withdrew following the 2011 Thohoku earthquake and tsumani.
The Squad:
Goalkeepers: Eiji Kawashima, Masaaki Higashiguchi, Kosuke Nakamura
Defenders: Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, Gotoku Sakai, Gen Shoji, Wataru Endo, Naomichi Ueda
Midfielders: Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Kagawa, Gaku Shibasaki, Ryota Oshima, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Keisuke Honda
Forwards: Takashi Inui, Takashi Usami, Genki Haraguchi, Shinji Okazaki, Yuya Osako, Yoshinori Muto
Hello, my name is Jack Sparrow. I'm a 50 year old self-employed Pirate from the Caribbean.
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