Video Paraguay 0-0 Japan (Pen 5-3) World Cup 2010 - 1/8 Final

Paraguay V Japan
2010.06.29 (15h00) - Paraguay 0-0 Japan (Pen 5-3) (WC 2010 - 1/8 Final)

Paraguay make history, Villa strikes

Paraguay make history, Villa strikes


The goals dried up on the last day of Round of 16 action but that will be of no concern to Spain and Paraguay after they advanced to the FIFA World Cup™ quarter-finals, the South Americans for the first time in their history.

The previous six last-16 games had produced the highest goals-per-game ratio (3.5) seen since the introduction of this extra knockout stage in 1986 but today gave us just the one, David Villa's winner for Spain against neighbours Portugal in Cape Town. Fernando Torres may still be recovering full sharpness but Villa has now netted in three straight games and his solitary strike was sufficient to settle a match where Portugal struggled to create clear chances, with Cristiano Ronaldo a largely peripheral figure and Ricardo Costa sent off late on.

Endo: We are mentally strong

One of the most consistent performers in Takeshi Okada’s Japan team, midfielder Yasuhito Endo played a key role in their 1-0 victory over Cameroon. After featuring prominently again in a narrow defeat against the Netherlands, Endo went on to justify his status as the reigning AFC Player of the Year in the 3-1 dismantling of Denmark, driving the midfield and scoring their second goal with a sublime free-kick.

Ahead of the Samaurai Blues' historic last-16 clash with Paraguay, the quietly spoken 30-year-old took time out to talk to FIFA about his scoring secrets, Japan’s strengths and their prospects for the remaining competition.

FIFA: You left your opponents in awe with your free-kick against Denmark. Do you have a special method or technique when taking set-pieces?
Yasuhito Endo: I took the free-kick as I always do, there was nothing special. But each time I have to take a different angle, if needed, when kicking.

Team Squad List 2010 - Japan

Nr.	Name	Date of Birth	Position	Clubs	Height
1	Seigo NARAZAKI	15/04/1976	GK	Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN)	187
2	Yuki ABE	06/09/1981	MF	Urawa Reds (JPN)	177
3	Yuichi KOMANO	25/07/1981	DF	Jubilo Iwata (JPN)	172
4	Marcus Tulio TANAKA	24/04/1981	DF	Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN)	185
5	Yuto NAGATOMO	12/09/1986	DF	FC Tokyo (JPN)	170
6	Atsuto UCHIDA	27/03/1988	DF	Kashima Antlers (JPN)	176
7	Yasuhito ENDO	28/01/1980	MF	Gamba Osaka (JPN)	178
8	Daisuke MATSUI	11/05/1981	MF	Grenoble (FRA)	175
9	Shinji OKAZAKI	16/04/1986	FW	Shimizu S-Pulse (JPN)	174
10	Shunsuke NAKAMURA	24/06/1978	MF	Yokohama F Marinos (JPN)	178
11	Keiji TAMADA	11/04/1980	FW	Nagoya Grampus Eight (JPN)	173
12	Kisho YANO	05/04/1984	FW	Albirex Niigata (JPN)	185
13	Daiki IWAMASA	30/01/1982	DF	Kashima Antlers (JPN)	187
14	Kengo NAKAMURA	31/10/1980	MF	Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)	175
15	Yasuyuki KONNO	25/01/1983	DF	FC Tokyo (JPN)	178
16	Yoshito OKUBO	09/06/1982	FW	Vissel Kobe (JPN)	170
17	Makoto HASEBE	18/01/1984	MF	Wolfsburg (GER)	177
18	Keisuke HONDA	13/06/1986	MF	CSKA Moscow (RUS)	182
19	Takayuki MORIMOTO	07/05/1988	FW	Catania (ITA)	180
20	Junichi INAMOTO	18/09/1979	MF	Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)	181
21	Eiji KAWASHIMA	20/03/1983	GK	Kawasaki Frontale (JPN)	185
22	Yuji NAKAZAWA	25/02/1978	DF	Yokohama F Marinos (JPN)	187
23	Yoshikatsu KAWAGUCHI	15/08/1975	GK	Jubilo Iwata (JPN)	180

Coach: Takeshi OKADA (JPN)

Coach 2010 - Japan

• Name: Takeshi OKADA
• Country: Japan
• Date of Birth: 25 August 1956

Takeshi Okada is popularly considered one of his country’s all-time greatest coaches. In his second spell in the Japan hot-seat since 2007, the 53-year-old’s achievements include winning back-to-back J.League titles with Yokohama Marinos and easing the Samurai Blue through South Africa 2010 qualifying.

Okada was a versatile defender during his playing days, renowned more for his clever reading of the game than his ferocity in the tackle. He represented Furukawa Electric - now known as JEF United - for ten years from 1980, and won 24 caps for Japan, representing them in their fruitless mission to reach Mexico 1986.

When Okada hung up his boots in 1990, he became part of his only club’s backroom staff. He spent a year in Germany, studying coaching methods in a nation that has produced a plethora of brilliant tacticians, before retuning to his homeland.

There, he became assistant to Japan coach Shu Kamo in 1995, but when the latter was sacked two years later in the midst of their France 1998 qualifying campaign, Okada was handed the reins. He responded by guiding them to a place at the FIFA World Cup for the very first time, via a 3-2 play-off victory over Iran in Malaysia.

Japan suffered three single-goal defeats, by Argentina, eventual bronze medalists Croatia and Jamaica at the global finals, and Okada quit following the tournament.

Okada’s next assignment was with Consadole Sapporo, whose promotion into the Japanese top flight he masterminded in 2000. His progress alerted a number of prestigious clubs and, despite the pressure he knew he’d be under, he assumed the controls at Yokohama Marinos, one of Asia’s biggest clubs, in 2003.

Okada’s time in Japan’s largest incorporated city was an overwhelming success. He led Yokohama to successive J.League titles in 2003 and 2004, and was named the tournament’s best coach at the end of both seasons. He left the Marinos in 2006.

When a sudden illness forced Japan coach Ivica Osim to resign the following year, the Japanese Football Association didn’t hesitate to court Okada. He accepted the post once again.
Grouped with Australia, Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the final round of Asian Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010, Okada decided to use a defensive approach. After beating Bahrain in their opener, however, consecutive home draws with Uzbekistan and Australia prompted the press to question the Osaka native’s tactics.

Okada took the criticism on the chin and let subsequent results do his talking. And on 6 June 2009, a 1-0 reverse of Bahrain made Japan the first team to qualify for the 19th edition of the FIFA World Cup.

Rather than play down Japan’s chances of success in South Africa, as is perennially the norm, Okada has repeatedly stated the same towering ambition. "Our target is to reach the last four," he declared.

"We have a tough group but we will not change our target. I said I wanted to shock the world. If South Korea reached the semi-finals in 2002, then why can’t we this year?"

Team Profile 2010 - Japan

Profile

Boasting one of the strongest squads in Asian football, Japan, winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, have high hopes for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ - their fourth appearance at the global showpiece.

First on the agenda is an improvement on the disappointing showing at Germany 2006, when the Samurai Blue exited at the first hurdle after a 3-1 reverse against Australia, a 0-0 draw with Croatia and a resounding 4-1 defeat by Brazil. Japan will also be facing their first finals without iconic midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata. The former Roma schemer featured in each of the national side's games at France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002 and Germany 2006 before hanging up his boots after the latter event aged just 29.

The road to South Africa
Having comfortably reached the fourth and final stage of Asian Zone qualifying for South Africa 2010, Japan won four, drew three and lost just one of their eight matches in Group 1. A 2-1 reverse in Australia and a frustrating 0-0 at home against the same opponents were the lowlights of this final phase, though coach Takeshi Okada's charges still finished well clear of Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan in the five-team section.

The star players
Japan's biggest star is former Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, who in the summer 2009 made the switch from Glasgow to La Liga with Espanyol. Another European-based performer is young midfielder Keisuke Honda, at Eredivisie outfit VVV Venlo and like Nakamura a gifted left-footer. Leading from the back is 31^-year-old defensive rock and captain Yuji Nakazawa, who with over 90 senior caps to his name is Japan's third-most capped player of all time.

The coach
National supremo Okada is widely considered to be one of the finest Japanese strategists around. He was at the helm during the Samurai Blue's first FIFA World Cup appearance at France 1998, having successfully negotiated a tricky play-off meeting with Iran, and later enjoyed spells at club level with Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama F Marinos.

The 53-year-old former international defender's time in Sapporo included taking the team from the second division into the top flight, while the tactician led Marinos to successive J.League titles in 2003 and 2004. Having stepped away from his role in Yokohama in 2006, he picked up the reins of the national team for a second time a year later - following the stroke suffered by previous incumbent Ivica Osim.

Previous FIFA World Cups
South Africa 2010 will be Japan's fourth FIFA World Cup finals, and their fourth in a row. Their best finish came as hosts at Korea/Japan 2002, when they topped Group H ahead of Belgium, Russia and Tunisia to advance to the knockout stages for the first and so far only time. Once in the Round of 16 they put in a brave fight only to go down 1-0 against eventual third-place finishers Turkey, the goal coming after 12 minutes from Umit Davala.

Records

• At his first finals as Japan coach, back at France 1998, Okada's charges lost each of their three group games, scoring once and conceding four times in the process.
• Masashi Nakayama scored Japan's first ever FIFA World Cup finals goal, netting in the 74th minute of the 2-1 reverse against Jamaicaon French soil.

What they said
"We are not going to change our tactics because when I set this team's basic tactical approach, it was already done with a view to winning against the world's biggest teams. Our main target in South Africa is to reach the semi-finals." Japan coach Takeshi Okada

Japan national football team-Custom

Japan

Nickname(s)	Samurai Blue Japanese Representatives (of soccer) ((サッカー)日本代表, (Sakkā) Nippon Daihyō?) Okada Japan (岡田ジャパン, Okada Japan?)[1]
Association	Japan Football Association
Confederation	AFC (Asia)
Head coach	Takeshi Okada
Captain	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
Most caps	Masami Ihara (122)
Top scorer	Kunishige Kamamoto (75)
FIFA code	JPN
FIFA ranking	45
Highest FIFA ranking	9 (February 1998)
Lowest FIFA ranking	62 (February 2000)
Elo ranking	40
Highest Elo ranking	8 (August 2001, March 2002)
Lowest Elo ranking	112 (September 1962)
Home colours Away colours
First international
Japan 0 - 5 Republic of China (Tokyo, Japan; May 9, 1917)
Biggest win
Japan 15 - 0 Philippines (Tokyo, Japan; September 27, 1967)
Biggest defeat
Japan 2 - 15 Philippines (Tokyo, Japan; May 10, 1917)
World Cup
Appearances	3 (First in 1998)
Best result	Round of 16, 2002
Asian Cup
Appearances	6 (First in 1988)
Best result	Champions, 1992, 2000, 2004
Confederations Cup
Appearances	4 (First in 1995)
Best result	Runners-Up, 2001

Olympic medal record
Men’s Football
Bronze	1968 Mexico City	Team

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Japan national football team

The Japan national football team is the national association football team of Japan and is controlled by the Japan Football Association.

Takeshi Okada, who had previously served as the manager for Japan leading up to and during the 1998 FIFA World Cup is the current coach for the team.

The Japanese team is commonly known by the fans and media as Soccer Nippon Daihyō (サッカー日本代表^?, lit. Japanese representatives of soccer), or Nippon Daihyō (日本代表^?, lit. Japanese representatives), Daihyō (代表^?, lit. representatives) as abbreviated expressions. Although the team does not have an official nickname as such, it is often known by the name of the manager. For example, under Ivica Osim, the team was known as Osim Japan. Recently the team has been known or nicknamed as the "Samurai Blue".

Japan is one of the most successful national teams in Asia, being a three-time winner of the AFC Asian Cup and having qualified for the last four consecutive FIFA World Cup finals.

History

Japan's first major achievement in international football came in the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, where the team won the bronze medal. Although this result earned the sport increased recognition in Japan, the absence of a professional domestic league hindered its growth and Japan would not qualify for the FIFA World Cup until 30 years later. ^[2]

In 1991, the owners of the semi-professional Japan Soccer League agreed to disband the league and re-form as the professional J. League, partly to raise the sport's profile and to strengthen the national team program. With the launch of the new league in 1993, interest in football and the national team grew.

However, in its first attempt to qualify with professional players, Japan narrowly missed a ticket to the 1994 FIFA World Cup after failing to beat Iraq in the final match of the qualification round, remembered by fans as the Agony of Doha.

The nation's first FIFA World Cup appearance was in 1998, where they lost all three matches. Japan's first two fixtures went 1-0 in favor of Argentina and Croatia, despite playing well in both games. Their campaign ended with an unexpected 2-1 defeat to rank outsiders Jamaica.

Four years later, Japan co-hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup with South Korea. Despite being held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium in their opening game, the Japanese team advanced to the second round with a 1-0 win over Russia and a 2-0 victory against Tunisia. However, they subsequently exited the tournament during the Round of 16, after losing 1-0 to eventual third-place finishers Turkey.

On June 8, 2005, Japan qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, its third consecutive World Cup, by beating North Korea 2-0 in Bangkok, Thailand. However, Japan failed to advance to the Round of 16 after finishing group play without a win, losing to Australia 1-3, drawing Croatia 0-0 and losing to Brazil 1-4.

Japan has had considerably more success in the Asian Cup, taking home the winner's trophy in three of the last four finals, in 1992, 2000 and 2004. Their principal continental rivals are South Korea, followed by Saudi Arabia, and most recently Australia.

Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011. ^[3]

During the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, in the fourth round of the Asian Qualifiers, Japan became the first team other than the host South Africa to qualify after defeating Uzbekistan 1-0, in Tashkent. Japan is in Group E along with the Netherlands, Denmark and Cameroon. ^[4]

Kits

Japan's current uniforms are provided by Adidas, the team's official apparel sponsor. The home kit consists of a blue jersey with a red square on the neck and feather designs, white shorts, and blue socks. The away kit consists of a white jersey, blue shorts, and white socks.

The national team kit design has gone through several alterations in the past. In the early 80s, the kit was white with blue trim. When Japan was coached by Kenzo Yokoyama (1988–1991) the kits were red and white, matching the colors of Japan's national flag. The kits worn for the 1992 Asian Cup consisted of white stripes with red diamonds. During Japan's first World Cup appearance in 1998, the national team kits were blue jerseys with red and white flame designs on the sleeves.

Sponsorship

Japan has one of the highest sponsorship incomes for a national squad. In 2006 their sponsorship income amounted to over 16.5 million pounds. Primary sponsors include Kirin, Adidas, Sony, Saison Card International, FamilyMart, Fujifilm, JAL, and Nissan. ^[5]

Schedule

For a detailed list of 2010 schedule fixtures and results refer to Japan national football team in 2010

Date	Opponent	Result	Score*	Venue	Competition
06 Jan 2010	Yemen	W	3-2	Ali Muhesen Stadium, Sana'a, Yemen	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
02 Feb 2010	Venezuela	D	0-0	Ōita Stadium, Ōita, Japan	International Friendly (2010 Kirin Challenge Cup)
06 Feb 2010	China PR	D	0-0	Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
11 Feb 2010	Hong Kong	W	3-0	National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
14 Feb 2010	Korea Republic	L	1-3	National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan	2010 East Asian Football Championship
03 Mar 2010	Bahrain	W	2-0	Toyota Stadium, Toyota, Japan	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification
07 Apr 2010	Serbia	L	0-3	Nagai Stadium, Osaka, Japan	International Friendly (2010 Kirin Challenge Cup)
24 May 2010	Korea Republic	L	0-2	Saitama Stadium, Saitama, Japan	International Friendly (2010 Kirin Challenge Cup)
30 May 2010	England	L	1-2	UPC-Arena, Graz, Austria	International Friendly
04 Jun 2010	Côte d'Ivoire			Stade Tourbillon, Sion, Switzerland	International Friendly
14 Jun 2010	Cameroon			Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup
19 Jun 2010	Netherlands			Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup
24 Jun 2010	Denmark			Royal Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg, South Africa	2010 FIFA World Cup
04 Sep 2010	Iran			Japan	International Friendly
12 Oct 2010	Korea Republic			Seoul World Cup Stadium, Seoul, Korea Republic	International Friendly
09 Jan 2011	Jordan			Qatar SC Stadium, Doha, Qatar	2011 AFC Asian Cup
13 Jan 2011	Syria			Qatar SC Stadium, Doha, Qatar	2011 AFC Asian Cup
17 Jan 2011	Saudi Arabia			Ahmed bin Ali Stadium, Ar Rayyan, Qatar	2011 AFC Asian Cup

* Japan score always listed first

Players

Current Squad

The 23 man squad selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup held in South Africa from 11 June 2010 to 11 July 2010 as announced by head coach Takeshi Okada on 10 May 2010. ^[6]

#	Name	Date of Birth (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club
Goalkeepers
1	Seigo Narazaki	April 15, 1976 (1976-04-15) (age 34)	76	0	Nagoya Grampus
21	Eiji Kawashima	March 20, 1983 (1983-03-20) (age 27)	9	0	Kawasaki Frontale
23	Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (C)	August 15, 1976 (1976-08-15) (age 33)	116	0	Júbilo Iwata
Defenders
3	Yūichi Komano	July 25, 1981 (1981-07-25) (age 28)	52	0	Júbilo Iwata
4	Marcus Tulio Tanaka	April 24, 1981 (1981-04-24) (age 29)	38	8	Nagoya Grampus
5	Yuto Nagatomo	September 12, 1986 (1986-09-12) (age 23)	25	3	F.C. Tokyo
6	Atsuto Uchida	March 27, 1988 (1988-03-27) (age 22)	31	1	Kashima Antlers
13	Daiki Iwamasa	January 30, 1982 (1982-01-30) (age 28)	2	0	Kashima Antlers
15	Yasuyuki Konno	January 25, 1983 (1983-01-25) (age 27)	36	0	F.C. Tokyo
22	Yuji Nakazawa	February 25, 1978 (1978-02-25) (age 32)	104	17	Yokohama F. Marinos
Midfielders
2	Yuki Abe	September 6, 1981 (1981-09-06) (age 28)	44	3	Urawa Red Diamonds
7	Yasuhito Endō	January 28, 1980 (1980-01-28) (age 30)	93	8	Gamba Osaka
8	Daisuke Matsui	May 11, 1981 (1981-05-11) (age 29)	23	1	Grenoble Foot 38
10	Shunsuke Nakamura	June 24, 1978 (1978-06-24) (age 31)	96	24	Yokohama F. Marinos
14	Kengo Nakamura	October 31, 1980 (1980-10-31) (age 29)	46	5	Kawasaki Frontale
17	Makoto Hasebe	January 18, 1984 (1984-01-18) (age 26)	30	1	VfL Wolfsburg
18	Keisuke Honda	June 13, 1986 (1986-06-13) (age 23)	14	4	PFC CSKA Moscow
20	Junichi Inamoto	September 18, 1979 (1979-09-18) (age 30)	79	5	Kawasaki Frontale
Forwards
9	Shinji Okazaki	April 16, 1986 (1986-04-16) (age 24)	27	16	Shimizu S-Pulse
11	Keiji Tamada	April 11, 1980 (1980-04-11) (age 30)	69	16	Nagoya Grampus
12	Kisho Yano	April 5, 1984 (1984-04-05) (age 26)	18	2	Albirex Niigata
16	Yoshito Okubo	June 9, 1982 (1982-06-09) (age 27)	48	5	Vissel Kobe
19	Takayuki Morimoto	May 7, 1988 (1988-05-07) (age 22)	5	1	Calcio Catania

Recent Callups

The following players have also been called up to the Japan squad within the last 12 months.

Name	Date of Birth (Age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Most Recent Callup
Goalkeepers
Shusaku Nishikawa	June 18, 1986 (1986-06-18) (age 23)	1	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2010 East Asian Football Championship v Korea Republic 14 Feb 2010
Shuichi Gonda	March 3, 1989 (1989-03-03) (age 21)	1	0	F.C. Tokyo	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Kaito Yamamoto	July 10, 1985 (1985-07-10) (age 24)	0	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	International Friendly v Togo 14 Oct 2009
Ryōta Tsuzuki	April 18, 1978 (1978-04-18) (age 32)	6	0	Urawa Red Diamonds	International Friendly v Ghana 09 Sep 2009
Defenders
Yuzo Kurihara	September 18, 1983 (1983-09-18) (age 26)	2	0	Yokohama F. Marinos	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Yuhei Tokunaga	September 25, 1983 (1983-09-25) (age 26)	7	0	F.C. Tokyo	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Tomoaki Makino	May 11, 1987 (1987-05-11) (age 23)	2	0	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Taisuke Muramatsu	December 16, 1989 (1989-12-16) (age 20)	0	0	Shonan Bellmare	Kagoshima Training Session 25 - 31 Jan 2010
Naoya Kikuchi	November 24, 1984 (1984-11-24) (age 25)	1	0	Oita Trinita	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Kosuke Ota	July 23, 1987 (1987-07-23) (age 22)	1	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Maya Yoshida	August 24, 1988 (1988-08-24) (age 21)	1	0	VVV-Venlo	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Gotoku Sakai	March 14, 1991 (1991-03-14) (age 19)	0	0	Albirex Niigata	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Keisuke Iwashita	September 24, 1986 (1986-09-24) (age 23)	0	0	Shimizu S-Pulse	International Friendly v Togo 14 Oct 2009
Satoshi Yamaguchi	April 17, 1978 (1978-04-17) (age 32)	2	0	Gamba Osaka	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification v Australia 06 Jun 2009
Midfielders
Koji Yamase	September 22, 1981 (1981-09-22) (age 28)	13	5	Yokohama F. Marinos	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Naohiro Ishikawa	May 12, 1981 (1981-05-12) (age 29)	5	0	F.C. Tokyo	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Mitsuo Ogasawara	April 5, 1979 (1979-04-05) (age 31)	55	7	Kashima Antlers	2010 East Asian Football Championship v Korea Republic 14 Feb 2010
Mu Kanazaki	February 16, 1989 (1989-02-16) (age 21)	4	0	Nagoya Grampus	2010 East Asian Football Championship v Korea Republic 14 Feb 2010
Shinji Kagawa	March 17, 1989 (1989-03-17) (age 21)	13	2	Borussia Dortmund	2010 East Asian Football Championship v Korea Republic 14 Feb 2010
Takashi Inui	June 2, 1988 (1988-06-02) (age 21)	2	0	Cerezo Osaka	International Friendly v Venezuela 02 Feb 2010
Yosuke Kashiwagi	December 15, 1987 (1987-12-15) (age 22)}	1	0	Urawa Red Diamonds	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Takuya Aoki	September 16, 1990 (1990-09-16) (age 19)	0	0	Omiya Ardija	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Kazuya Yamamura	December 2, 1989 (1989-12-02) (age 20)	1	0	Ryutsu Keizai University F.C.	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Naoki Yamada	July 4, 1990 (1990-07-04) (age 19)	2	0	Urawa Red Diamonds	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Takuji Yonemoto	December 3, 1990 (1990-12-03) (age 19)	1	0	F.C. Tokyo	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Hideo Hashimoto	May 21, 1979 (1979-05-21) (age 31)	13	0	Gamba Osaka	International Friendly v Togo 14 Oct 2009
Forwards
Shinzo Koroki	July 31, 1986 (1986-07-31) (age 23)	11	0	Kashima Antlers	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Kensuke Nagai	March 5, 1989 (1989-03-05) (age 21)	1	0	Fukuoka University	International Friendly v Serbia 07 Apr 2010
Sōta Hirayama	June 6, 1985 (1985-06-06) (age 24)	4	3	F.C. Tokyo	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Bahrain 03 Mar 2010
Hisato Satō	March 12, 1982 (1982-03-12) (age 28)	31	4	Sanfrecce Hiroshima	2010 East Asian Football Championship v Korea Republic 14 Feb 2010
Kazuma Watanabe	August 10, 1986 (1986-08-10) (age 23)	1	0	Yokohama F. Marinos	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Yuya Osako	May 18, 1990 (1990-05-18) (age 20)	0	0	Kashima Antlers	2011 AFC Asian Cup qualification v Yemen 06 Jan 2010
Ryoichi Maeda	October 9, 1981 (1981-10-09) (age 28)	5	2	Júbilo Iwata	International Friendly v Togo 14 Oct 2009

Most Capped # Player Caps Goals Career 1 Masami Ihara 122 5 1988–1999 2 Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi 116 0 1997- 3 Yuji Nakazawa 104 17 1999– 4 Shunsuke Nakamura 96 24 2000– 5 Yasuhito Endō 93 8 2002– 6 Kazuyoshi Miura 89 55 1990–2000 7 Alessandro dos Santos 82 7 2002–2006 8 Junichi Inamoto 79 5 2000– 9 Satoshi Tsunami 78 2 1980–1995 10 Hidetoshi Nakata 77 11 1997–2006

Top Goal scorers # Player Goals Caps Career 1 Kunishige Kamamoto 75 76 1964–1977 2 Kazuyoshi Miura 55 89 1990–2000 3 Hiromi Hara 37 75 1978–1988 4 Takuya Takagi 27 44 1992–1997 5 Kazushi Kimura 26 54 1979–1986 6 Shunsuke Nakamura 24 96 2000– 7 Naohiro Takahara 23 57 2000–2008 8 Masashi Nakayama 21 53 1990–2003 9 Teruki Miyamoto 18 58 1961–1971 10 Atsushi Yanagisawa 17 58 1998–2006 10 Yuji Nakazawa 17 104 1999–

Managers

Manager Tenure Takeshi Okada 2007–Present Ivica Osim 2006–2007 Zico 2002–2006 Philippe Troussier 1998–2002 Takeshi Okada 1997–1998 Shu Kamo 1994–1997 Falcão 1994 Hans Ooft 1992–1993 Kenzo Yokoyama 1988–1991 Yoshinobu Ishii 1986–1987 Takaji Mori 1981–1985 Saburō Kawabuchi 1980–1981

Manager	Tenure
Masashi Watanabe	1980
Yukio Shimomura	1979–1980
Hiroshi Ninomiya	1976–1978
Ken Naganuma	1972–1976
Shunichiro Okano	1970–1971
Ken Naganuma	1962–1969
Hidetoki Takahashi	1960–1962
Shigemaru Takenokoshi	1958–1959
Taizo Kawamoto	1958
Hidetoki Takahashi	1957
Shigemaru Takenokoshi	1951–1956
Hirokazu Ninomiya	1951

Competition Records

*Denotes draws includes knockout matches decided on penalty kicks. Red border indicates that the tournament was hosted on home soil. Gold, silver, bronze backgrounds indicates 1st, 2nd and 3rd finishes respectively. Bold text indicates best finish in tournament.

FIFA World Cup Record

FIFA World Cup Finals Record										Qualifications Record
Hosts / Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA		GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1930	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1934	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1938	Withdrew	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1950	Banned	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1954	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		2	0	1	1	3	7
1958	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1962	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		2	0	0	2	1	4
1966	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	-	-	-	-	-
1970	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		4	0	2	2	4	8
1974	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		4	1	0	3	5	4
1978	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		4	1	0	3	0	5
1982	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		4	2	0	2	4	2
1986	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		8	5	1	2	15	5
1990	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		6	2	3	1	7	3
1994	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		13	9	3	1	35	6
1998	Round 1	31	3	0	0	3	1	4		15	9	5	1	51	12
2002	Round of 16	9	4	2	1	1	5	3		-	-	-	-	-	-
2006	Round 1	28	3	0	1	2	2	7		12	11	0	1	25	5
2010	Qualified	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		14	8	4	2	23	9
Total	4/19	Round of 16	10	2	2	6	8	14		88	47	20	21	173	70

FIFA World Cup Finals History
Year	Round	Score	Result
1998	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 Argentina	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 Croatia	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 2 Jamaica	Loss
2002	Round 1	Japan 2 – 2 Belgium	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Russia	Win
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 0 Tunisia	Win
	Round 2	Japan 0 – 1 Turkey	Loss
2006	Round 1	Japan 1 – 3 Australia	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 Croatia	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 4 Brazil	Loss
2010	Round 1	Japan – Cameroon	-
	Round 1	Japan – Netherlands	-
	Round 1	Japan – Denmark	-

AFC Asian Cup Record

AFC Asian Cup Record Hosts / Year Result Position GP W D* L GS GA 1956 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1960 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1964 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1968 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 1972 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1976 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 1980 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1984 Didn't Enter - - - - - - - 1988 Round 1 10 4 0 1 3 0 6 1992 Champions 1 5 3 2 0 6 3 1996 Quarterfinals 7 4 3 0 1 7 3 2000 Champions 1 6 5 1 0 21 6 2004 Champions 1 6 4 2 0 13 6 2007 Fourth Place 4 6 2 3 1 11 7 2011 Qualified - - - - - - - Total 7/15 3 Titles 31 17 9 5 58 31

AFC Asian Cup History
Year	Round	Score	Result
1988	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 Iran	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 2 Korea Republic	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 United Arab Emirates	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 3 Qatar	Loss
1992	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 United Arab Emirates	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 1 Korea DPR	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Iran	Win
	Semifinals	Japan 3 – 2 China PR	Win
	Finals	Japan 1 – 0 Saudi Arabia	Win
1996	Round 1	Japan 2 – 1 Syria	Win
	Round 1	Japan 4 – 0 Uzbekistan	Win
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 China PR	Win
	Quarterfinals	Japan 0 – 2 Kuwait	Loss
2000	Round 1	Japan 4 – 1 Saudi Arabia	Win
	Round 1	Japan 8 – 1 Uzbekistan	Win
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 1 Qatar	Draw
	Quarterfinals	Japan 4 – 1 Iraq	Win
	Semifinals	Japan 3 – 2 China PR	Win
	Finals	Japan 1 – 0 Saudi Arabia	Win
2004	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Oman	Win
	Round 1	Japan 4 – 1 Thailand	Win
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 Iran	Draw
	Quarterfinals	Japan 1 – 1 Jordan	Draw
	Semifinals	Japan 4 – 3 Bahrain	Win
	Finals	Japan 3 – 1 China PR	Win
2007	Round 1	Japan 1 – 1 Qatar	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 3 – 1 United Arab Emirates	Win
	Round 1	Japan 4 – 1 Vietnam	Win
	Quarterfinals	Japan 1 – 1 Australia	Draw
	Semifinals	Japan 2 – 3 Saudi Arabia	Loss
	Third Place	Japan 0 – 0 Korea Republic	Draw
2011	Round 1	Japan – Jordan
	Round 1	Japan – Syria
	Round 1	Japan – Saudi Arabia

FIFA Confederations Cup Record

FIFA Confederations Cup Record Hosts / Year Result Position GP W D L GS GA 1992 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 1995 Round 1 6 2 0 0 2 1 8 1997 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 1999 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 2001 Runners-Up 2 5 3 1 1 6 1 2003 Round 1 6 3 1 0 2 4 3 2005 Round 1 5 3 1 1 1 4 4 2009 Didn't Qualify - - - - - - - 2013 - - - - - - - - Total 4/8 Runners-Up 13 5 2 6 15 16

FIFA Confederations Cup History
Year	Round	Score	Result
1995	Round 1	Japan 0 – 3 Nigeria	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 5 Argentina	Loss
2001	Round 1	Japan 3 – 0 Canada	Win
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 0 Cameroon	Win
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 Brazil	Draw
	Semifinals	Japan 1 – 0 Australia	Win
	Final	Japan 0 – 1 France	Loss
2003	Round 1	Japan 3 – 0 New Zealand	Win
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 2 France	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 Colombia	Loss
2005	Round 1	Japan 1 – 2 Mexico	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Greece	Win
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 2 Brazil	Draw

Olympic Games Record

Since 1992, the Olympic team has been drawn from a squad with a maximum of three players over 23 years of age, and the achievements of this team are not generally regarded as part of the national teams records, nor are the statistics credited to the players' international records.

Olympic Games Record
Hosts / Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D*	L	GS	GA
1900	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1904	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1908	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1912	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1920	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1924	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1928	Didn't Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1936	Quarterfinals	8	2	1	0	1	3	10
1948	Banned	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1952	Did Not Enter	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1956	Round 1	10	1	0	0	1	0	2
1960	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1964	Quarterfinals	8	3	1	0	2	5	9
1968	Third Place	3	6	3	2	1	9	8
1972	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1976	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1980	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1984	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1988	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1992	Didn't Qualify	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1996	Round 1	9	3	2	0	1	4	4
2000	Quarterfinals	5	4	2	1	1	6	5
2004	Round 1	13	3	1	0	2	6	7
2008	Round 1	15	3	0	0	3	1	4
Total	8/24	Third Place	25	10	3	12	34	49

Olympic Games History
Year	Round	Score	Result
1936	Round 1	Japan 3 – 2 Sweden	Win
	Quarterfinals	Japan 0 – 8 Italy	Loss
1956	Round 1	Japan 0 – 2 Australia	Loss
1964	Round 1	Japan 3 – 2 Argentina	Win
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 3 Ghana	Loss
	Quarterfinals	Japan 0 – 4 Czechoslovakia	Loss
1968	Round 1	Japan 3 – 1 Nigeria	Win
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 1 Brazil	Draw
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 0 Spain	Draw
	Quarterfinals	Japan 3 – 1 France	Win
	Semifinals	Japan 0 – 5 Hungary	Loss
	Third Place	Japan 2 – 0 Mexico	Win
1996	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Brazil	Win
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 2 Nigeria	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 3 – 2 Hungary	Win
2000	Round 1	Japan 2 – 1 South Africa	Win
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 1 Slovakia	Win
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 Brazil	Loss
	Quarterfinals	Japan 2 – 2 United States	Draw
2004	Round 1	Japan 3 – 4 Paraguay	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 2 – 3 Italy	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 0 Ghana	Win
2008	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 United States	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 2 Nigeria	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 1 Netherlands	Loss

East Asian Football Championship Record

East Asian Football Championship Record Hosts / Year Result Position GP W D L GS GA 2003 Runners-Up 2 3 2 1 0 3 0 2005 Runners-Up 2 3 1 1 1 3 3 2008 Runners-Up 2 3 1 2 0 3 2 2010 Third Place 3 3 1 1 1 4 3 Total 4/4 3 Runners-Up 12 5 5 2 13 8

East Asian Football Championship History
Year	Round	Score	Result
2003	Finals	Japan 2 – 0 China PR	Win
	Finals	Japan 1 – 0 Hong Kong	Win
	Finals	Japan 0 – 0 Korea Republic	Draw
2005	Finals	Japan 0 – 1 Korea DPR	Loss
	Finals	Japan 2 – 2 China PR	Draw
	Finals	Japan 1 – 0 Korea Republic	Win
2008	Finals	Japan 1 – 1 Korea DPR	Draw
	Finals	Japan 1 – 0 China PR	Win
	Finals	Japan 1 – 1 Korea Republic	Draw
2010	Finals	Japan 0 – 0 China PR	Draw
	Finals	Japan 3 – 0 Hong Kong	Win
	Finals	Japan 1 – 3 Korea Republic	Loss

Copa América Record

Japan is the only team from outside the Americas to participate in the Copa América, having been invited in 1999 and 2011. ^[3]

Copa América Record
Hosts / Year	Result	Position	GP	W	D	L	GS	GA
1999	Round 1	10	3	0	1	2	3	8
2011	Invited	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Total	2	Round 1	3	0	1	2	3	8

Copa América History
Year	Round	Score	Result
1999	Round 1	Japan 2 – 3 Peru	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 0 – 4 Paraguay	Loss
	Round 1	Japan 1 – 1 Bolivia	Draw

Honors

International

• Summer Olympics

Bronze Medal (1): 1968

• FIFA Confederations Cup

Runners-Up (1): 2001

Continental

• AFC Asian Cup

Champions (3): 1992, 2000, 2004

Fourth Place (1): 2007

Regional

• Dynasty Cup

Champions (3): 1992, 1995, 1998

Other

• Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

Champions (2): 1993, 2007

• AFC/OFC Challenge Cup

Champions (1): 2001

Youth

Under-23

See: Japan national under-23 football team

Under-20

See: Japan national under-20 football team

Under-17

See: Japan national under-17 football team

References

1. ^ A common methodology of nickname creation is done by taking the last name of incumbent head coach followed by "Japan". Past teams have been referred to as, "Osim Japan" (オシムジャパン, Oshimu Japan^?), "Zico Japan" (ジーコジャパン, Jīko Japan^?), "Troussier Japan" (トルシエジャパン, Torushie Japan^?).
2. ^ Matsushima, Ken. "History of the J. League". Rising Sun News. http://www.wldcup.com/Asia/jleague/history.html. Retrieved 2006-07-07.
3. ^ ^{a b} Japan Invited To Copa America 2011 Along With Mexico Goal.com 2 Jun 2009
4. ^ Hongo, Jun, "SOCCER IN JAPAN: Japan team has foot in World Cup door but can it kick?", Japan Times, February 9, 2010, p. 3.
5. ^ Brand Republic News. "World's richest teams: Cup overfloweth". Rising Sun News. http://www.brandrepublic.com/bulletins/sports/article/558306/worlds-richest-teams-cup-overfloweth/. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
6. ^ "Japan National Football Team 23 man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup". Japan Football Association. http://samuraiblue.jp/newscenter/press_release/news_000149.html.

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