World News
Japan to Run Rule Over Newcomers
Japan coach Takeshi Okada called up several new faces for next week's training camp as they step up preparations for June's World Cup qualifiers.
Among the 28 Japanese-based players named by Okada, Kawasaki Frontale defender Shuhei Terada and Kashiwa Reysol midfielder Takehito Shigehara have been included for the first time along with FC Tokyo defender Yuto Nagatomo and Cerezo Osaka midfielder Shinji Kagawa, both of who play for the Japan Under-23 side.Six other players, including Urawa Reds forward Yuichiro Nagai and team-mate goalkeeper Ryota Tsuzuki, as well as Yokohama F. Marinos defender Yuzo Kurihara, will also get the chance to impress Okada for the first time.
Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers players were excluded due to AFC Champions League commitments.
The squad will get together on Monday for a three-day camp in Chiba Prefecture that will include a practice match against a Tsukuba University team on Wednesday.
Japan will then play two friendlies against Ivory Coast and Paraguay at the end of May before taking on Oman at home in their next World Cup qualifier on June 2.
Okada's side will then visit Oman on June 7 and Thailand on June 14 before hosting Bahrain on June 22.
Japan squad: Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Tsuzuki (Urawa Reds), Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale), Terada (Kawasaki Frontale), Narazaki (Yokohama F. Marinos), Tanaka (Urawa Reds), Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Abe (Urawa Reds), Kurihara (Yokohama F. Marinos), Tokunaga (FC Tokyo), Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Naoshi Nakamura (Nagoya Grampus), Hanyu (FC Tokyo), Nishi (Jubilo Iwata), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Suzuki (Urawa Reds), Yamase (Yokohama F. Marinos), Shigehara (Kashiwa Reysol), Konno (FC Tokyo), Yamagishi (Kawasaki Frontale), Kagawa (Cerezo Osaka), Nagai (Urawa Reds), Takahara (Urawa Reds), Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Maki (JEF United Chiba), Takamatsu (Oita Trinita), Okubo (Vissel Kobe)
Copyright (c) 2008 Press Association
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