Betting tips Japan

Manager: Takeshi Okada
Captain: Yuji Nakazawa
FIFA Ranking: 45
World Cup appearances: 3 – 1998, 2002, 2006
Best World Cup: Last Sixteen – 2002

Japan Team Profile

Japan have been a force to be reckoned with in Asia over the past decade of so. They’ve won three AFC Asian Cup’s with their most recent success coming in 2004. However, age is catching up with some of their more recognised players and the Japanese squad will be somewhat of an unknown quantity with a mix of youth and experience in the squad.

Japan came through qualification fairly comfortably in the end although manager Takeshi Okada will be disappointed with the number of draws his side had to endure on home soil. All three of their draws in qualification came in Japan but that will be seen as a minor technicality now that they’ve qualified for the world cup in South Africa, while playing on opposition soil might actually play into their hands if their qualifying record is anything to go by. Three of their four victory’s in qualification came away from home so the pressure of entertaining the large number of home supporters won’t be a burden in South Africa.

Manager

Takeshi Okada is a former Japan international himself so it was only natural for him that he would one day take over the reigns on the international front. He played 24 times for his country scoring just the one goal between 1980-1985. This will be Okada’s second stint as Japan manager after leading them to the 1998 World Cup in France where they finished bottom of group H without a single point to their name.

Takeshi Okada‘s second appointment as manager came via a bit of misfortune as former manager Ivica Osim suffered a stroke which led to those in charge having to find a suitable replacement. That replacement was indeed Takeshi Okada and after taking over in December 2007, he has led Japan to their fourth World Cup.

Japan Key Players

The key player for Japan will be former Glasgow Rangers ace, now Espanyol star, Shunsuke Nakamura. He has bags of European experience from his time with Rangers, enjoying several seasons in the Champions League and pitting his wits against some of Europe’s finest. Unlike most in the Japan squad, Nakamura will know exactly what to expect from some of their opponents in South Africa thanks to some valuable Champions League ties.

Keisuke Honda, who in 2009 signed for Russian giants CSKA Moscow, is another player with talent, a star in the making if you’re to believe the hype. Again, we seen a lot of Honda during last seasons Champions League campaign, of which Honda played a big role in getting CSKA into the quarter-finals against all odds. In fairness, though, he didn’t really do it for us, although he’s energetic and ambitious so it’s easy to see why the Japanese expect big things from him.

A player we know nothing at all about, but looks an integral part of the Japanese set up, is Yuri Nakazawa, a player with 102 international caps to his name and a player who participated in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cup for Japan. It goes without saying that his experience in the heart of the Japan defence will aid them well over the summer in what will be testing surroundings for Japan.

Japan Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Asia
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-3-1
Goals Scored: 11
Goals Conceded: 6

World Cup Potential: 1/5

The Japanese have never really had a team to be reckoned with, at least not outside of the Asian continent. In Asia though, Japan have the been the leading player, winning three of the previous five editions of the Asian Championships, but have seemingly failed to produce the standard needed against teams from all across the globe. Their squad isn’t really recognisable to us, with many applying their trade over in Japan in a J league which is steadily growing in terms of global following and the fan base back home in Japan. However, we seen quite a bit of them during qualifying and they were nothing special. What was extremely concerning was their lack of physical strength, so they may struggle to hold their own in South Africa against some physically tough and well equipped nations.

Japan World Cup Betting Odds

Japan to win the World Cup:         250/1 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Japan were 400/1 

Official Japan World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus)

Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata)

Defenders

Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus)

Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata)

Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers)

Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo)

Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)

Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

Midfielders

Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka)

Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale)

Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble)

Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds)

Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)

Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow)

Strikers

Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus)

Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe)

Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata)

Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse)

Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Japan Fixtures – Group E

29/06 – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Japan – Paraguay: 3-5 pen.

World Cup 2010 Group E - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

Denmark v Japan Betting Odds

Denmark to win: 5/4 at Bet365
Draw: 12/5 at Ladbrokes
Japan to win: 11/4 at Ladbrokes

Denmark

Denmark will know that they do not have the upper hand going into their final match of Group E, as they take on Japan. The two teams are level on three points in the group, but the Asian nation have the advantage with a better goal difference. This means that Morten Olsen’s Denmark have to go out and push for the win. With Cameroon already having been eliminated from the group, there is a three way race for supremacy in the group. With Holland fully expected to seal top spot with at least a point against Cameroon, so it all leaves Japan and Denmark to battle it out for second place. If the Danes do get through to the second round of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, then they will have done in the hard way. Denmark looked a little lost in their opening fixture, as they could not find any rhythm or transition to get forward against Holland, going on to lose the match 2-0. They then fell behind to Cameroon and things were looking bleak, until a resurgence sparked by Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner and Dennis Rommedahl who got the goals in a 2-1 victory. They now have a cup final of their own against Japan, as the Europeans have to go all out for a win. Denmark are not a side which are really associated with being great exponents of the attacking game, but they do have some potency up front, and plenty of options to chose from. The big hope for them is the speed and movement of Bendtner, who is the spark of inspiration that could just get them though. It is not likely to an expansive game by either team, but Denmark may just have the width and individual quality in the likes of Gronkjaer going forward, and the impressive Daniel Agger at the back. Denmark will be expected just to edge this one, but they will be made to work hard in breaking down an organised Japanese side, but this is one game where quick long balls may pay off for the Danes.

Denmark World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D0, L1
GF/GA: 2/3
Cards: Y3, R0
Most Shots: Dennis Rommedahl, 1
Top Scorer: Dennis Rommedahl, Nicklas Bendtner, 1
Shots/On Goal: 23/9
Fouls Committed: 32
Total Passes: 818
Pass Completion: 70%

Japan

Japan are expecting a tough physical battle against Denmark, and they will go into the match as underdogs, even though they have the slight advantage of only needing a draw to get through to the second round. There was nothing much expected of the Blue Samurai as they have undergone a transitional period and have had to do a lot of rebuilding. The Japanese will back themselves to put out another defensive display which will be sturdy enough to repel the dangers from Denmark. But Japan coach Takeshi Okada is worried about the physical and height advantage which the Danes will have over his side. The key to this match could all come down to the precision of delivery at set pieces, areas which the Danish will have a strong advantage. So, for Japan to battle through this, Okada is looking for something a bit special from his players, something that goes beyond the formation and tactics. He is demanding his players stay focused with a strong mentality through the match, and not to be overwhelmed. Japan can take a lot of confidence from their two performances so far. They looked lively in their victory over Cameroon, and they battled very hard in their match against group favourites Holland, leaving only 1-0 when many expected more. It is a big match for both sides, and it may not prove to be the prettiest football, but the excitement levels should go all the way.

Japan World Cup 2010 Stats
Played: W1, D0, L0
GF/GA: 1/1
Cards: Y1, R0
Most Shots: Keisuke Honda, 4
Top Scorer: Keisuke Honda, 1
Shots/On Goal: 15/8
Fouls Committed: 31
Total Passes: 790
Pass Completion: 62%

Asian Handicap Betting Tip: This is a close match to call, as the Japanese have been surprisingly enterprising in their matches, more so than expected. The Danes have looked decent in flashes, and completely out of the picture in the next. They threw caution to the wind in the second half against Cameroon and looked dangerous going forward, but horribly exposed at the back. There may be a lot of caution executed here by both sides, with a draw looking very likely, but if you are looking for a winner then Denmark should edge it. So for a handicap bet, Japan in the positive to hold out, should pay off.
Denmark -0.5 for 5/4 at Paddy Power

 

Current Denmark V Japan Odds:

Manager: Takeshi Okada
Captain: Yuji Nakazawa
FIFA Ranking: 45
World Cup appearances: 3 – 1998, 2002, 2006
Best World Cup: Last Sixteen – 2002

Japan Team Profile

Japan have been a force to be reckoned with in Asia over the past decade of so. They’ve won three AFC Asian Cup’s with their most recent success coming in 2004. However, age is catching up with some of their more recognised players and the Japanese squad will be somewhat of an unknown quantity with a mix of youth and experience in the squad.

Japan came through qualification fairly comfortably in the end although manager Takeshi Okada will be disappointed with the number of draws his side had to endure on home soil. All three of their draws in qualification came in Japan but that will be seen as a minor technicality now that they’ve qualified for the world cup in South Africa, while playing on opposition soil might actually play into their hands if their qualifying record is anything to go by. Three of their four victory’s in qualification came away from home so the pressure of entertaining the large number of home supporters won’t be a burden in South Africa.

Manager

Takeshi Okada is a former Japan international himself so it was only natural for him that he would one day take over the reigns on the international front. He played 24 times for his country scoring just the one goal between 1980-1985. This will be Okada’s second stint as Japan manager after leading them to the 1998 World Cup in France where they finished bottom of group H without a single point to their name.

Takeshi Okada‘s second appointment as manager came via a bit of misfortune as former manager Ivica Osim suffered a stroke which led to those in charge having to find a suitable replacement. That replacement was indeed Takeshi Okada and after taking over in December 2007, he has led Japan to their fourth World Cup.

Japan Key Players

The key player for Japan will be former Glasgow Rangers ace, now Espanyol star, Shunsuke Nakamura. He has bags of European experience from his time with Rangers, enjoying several seasons in the Champions League and pitting his wits against some of Europe’s finest. Unlike most in the Japan squad, Nakamura will know exactly what to expect from some of their opponents in South Africa thanks to some valuable Champions League ties.

Keisuke Honda, who in 2009 signed for Russian giants CSKA Moscow, is another player with talent, a star in the making if you’re to believe the hype. Again, we seen a lot of Honda during last seasons Champions League campaign, of which Honda played a big role in getting CSKA into the quarter-finals against all odds. In fairness, though, he didn’t really do it for us, although he’s energetic and ambitious so it’s easy to see why the Japanese expect big things from him.

A player we know nothing at all about, but looks an integral part of the Japanese set up, is Yuri Nakazawa, a player with 102 international caps to his name and a player who participated in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cup for Japan. It goes without saying that his experience in the heart of the Japan defence will aid them well over the summer in what will be testing surroundings for Japan.

Japan Qualification for the World Cup

Sector: Asia
Group: 1
Position: 2nd
Win-Draw-Lose: 4-3-1
Goals Scored: 11
Goals Conceded: 6

World Cup Potential: 1/5

The Japanese have never really had a team to be reckoned with, at least not outside of the Asian continent. In Asia though, Japan have the been the leading player, winning three of the previous five editions of the Asian Championships, but have seemingly failed to produce the standard needed against teams from all across the globe. Their squad isn’t really recognisable to us, with many applying their trade over in Japan in a J league which is steadily growing in terms of global following and the fan base back home in Japan. However, we seen quite a bit of them during qualifying and they were nothing special. What was extremely concerning was their lack of physical strength, so they may struggle to hold their own in South Africa against some physically tough and well equipped nations.

Japan World Cup Betting Odds

Japan to win the World Cup:         250/1 – Bet365

Before the World Cup the odds on Japan were 400/1 

Official Japan World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers

Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus)

Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata)

Defenders

Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus)

Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata)

Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers)

Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo)

Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)

Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers)

Midfielders

Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F. Marinos)

Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale)

Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka)

Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale)

Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble)

Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds)

Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg)

Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow)

Strikers

Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus)

Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe)

Kisho Yano (Albirex Niigata)

Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse)

Takayuki Morimoto (Catania)

last update: 18 June 2010

World Cup 2010 Japan Fixtures – Group E

29/06 – 15.00 – Round of the last 16: Japan – Paraguay: 3-5 pen.

World Cup Group E - Table

World Cup Fixtures and Results

World Cup Group of Japan