It’s hard to imagine the Japan team without Makoto Hasebe. Not only has he made over 100 international appearances, the 34 year-old - who recently signed a one-year contract extension at Eintracht - is also the beating heart and captain of his country. Few other players in the so-called ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ are as revered as Hasebe, who dictates the rhythm for the Samurai Blue.
Smooth passage to Russia
Hasebe and Co. had few problems qualifying for this summer’s World Cup. In the first phase of qualification, Japan won seven and drew one of their eight games, scoring 27 goals and conceding none to finish comfortably top of their group. They also claimed top spot in the next, decisive round of qualifying, although this time it was much closer. Japan took 20 points from a possible 30, with Saudi Arabia and Australia just behind them on 19 each.
However, a 1-0 defeat in their final group game against the Saudis was the beginning of the end for coach Vahid Halilhodzic. After two poor performances in the subsequent friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, Halilhodzic, a defensive-minded coach, was dismissed. This was in part also down to the fact that his authoritarian style of leadership did not go down well with sections of the squad. Whether Japan will play in a more attacking way under new coach Akira Nishino remains to be seen.
Japan’s Group H fixtures: Colombia (19 June, Saransk), Senegal (24 June, Ekaterinburg), Poland (28 June, Volgograd).
Best World Cup finish: Last 16 in 2002 and 2010.
World Cup 2014: Finished bottom of their group after defeats against Ivory Coast and Colombia plus a 0-0 draw with Greece.
World Cup 2018 expectations: The 2011 AFC Asian Cup winners are dreaming of reaching the quarter-finals in their sixth World Cup appearance, but they could find it tough to get out of their group.
Key players: The team ranked 60th in the world have no superstars in their ranks. The players with the highest market value according to transfermarkt.co.uk are Portimonense winger Shoya Nakajima (€5.5 million and striker Yuya Kubo (€5 million) of Belgian side Gent.
