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…

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.