Japan calls to Europe for Confed Cup

TOKYO (AP) -- Europe-based stars Hidetoshi Nakata of Parma and Shunsuke Nakamura of Reggina will lead Japan's national squad in this month's Confederations Cup in France as the team tries to prove itself under a new coach.

The tournament will be the first major international soccer championship for the national team under the tutelage of Brazilian coach Zico.

Zico took over from Frenchman Philippe Troussier last July after Troussier guided Japan to the second round of the World Cup for the first time.

But Zico's squad has gotten off to a slow start, winning only one of its games -- against South Korea -- while losing to Argentina twice, and drawing against Jamaica and Uruguay.

Although he has promised to turn Japan into an entertaining team that can score goals, Zico's squad has rarely displayed flair and struggled to find the net. Even his laid-back approach -- a contrast from Troussier's autocratic, abrasive leadership -- has been questioned.

The former Brazilian international has stressed he believes matches are won by individuals and is likely to rely heavily on the talents of Nakata, Nakamura, and Junichi Inamoto of England's Fulham at the Cup.

These players form the core of Zico's plans for a more attack-minded midfield.

Feyenoord's Shinji Ono, the 2002 AFC Player of the Year, will not play in the cup because of an injured left ankle.

Zico will also likely draw on the talents of forwards Naohiro Takahara, a striker with SV Hamburg of Germany, and Takayuki Suzuki of Belgium's Genk.

Japan faces France, New Zealand, and Columbia in Group A at the tournament, which runs June 18-29. Group B includes Brazil, Cameroon, the United States and Turkey.

Japan's team:

Goalkeepers: 1-Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Yoichi Doi (FC Tokyo), 23-Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth).

Defenders: 2-Akira Narahashi (Kashima Antlers), 3-Yutaka Akita (Kashima Antlers), 4-Ryuzo Morioka (Shimizu S-Pulse), 6-Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata), 17-Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), 21-Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa Reds), 22-Nobuhisa Yamada (Urawa Reds).

Midfielders: 5-Junichi Inamoto (Fulham), 7-Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma), 8-Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers), 10-Shunsuke Nakamura (Reggina), 13-Daisuke Oku (Yokohama F Marinos), 14-Alessandro Santos (Shimizu S-Pulse), 15-Takashi Fukunishi (Jubilo Iwata), 16-Koji Nakata (Kashima Antlers), 19-Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka).

Forwards: 11-Takayuki Suzuki (Genk), 20-Naohiro Takahara (Hamburg SV), 24-Yuichiro Nagai (Urawa Reds), 27-Yoshito Okubo (Cerezo Osaka).

 

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