Can Japan still walk the talk?

Tsuneyasu Miyamoto captained Japan at two World Cup finals, including in 2002 when the country co-hosted with South Korea and reached the knockout stage for the first time.

Ahead of this year’s competition I asked him what he expected from the Samurai Blue in Brazil. and how this year’s squad compares to the 2002 vintage…

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Yamaguchi’s time to shine

Hotaru Yamaguchi has become an increasingly regular presence in the heart of Japan’s midfield as the World Cup finals draw near.

 

Before the team left for Brazil I spoke to the Cerezo Osaka man and his rivals for a starting berth Makoto Hasebe and Yasuhito Endo for this piece for Al Jazeera English.