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Japan (composition) The strongest Asian team Japan goes to the Confederations Cup tournament in Germany much more relaxed than some other participants. This country has already secured a place in next year's World Cup and can now calmly wait for the most popular sports event on the planet. And although Japan became the first country to secure a place in next year's World Cup, coach Zico has a lot of problems approaching the tournament. The 2-0 victory over North Korea helped the Brazilian coach achieve the goal set for the team, but Japan's game in the qualifiers often received a lot of criticism. Zico's relationship with the Japanese media, which demanded the coach's dismissal at the beginning of the qualifiers, is very complicated. The Brazilian often faces criticism for his selection of starting players, tactics. And this certainly does not help the team spirit, which is not very high after a few small conflicts. But a successful performance in the Confederations Cup would be a great and strong argument for the Brazilian to withstand all the criticism from the Japanese media. However, injuries to players are hindering preparation for these matches - it is unclear whether injured forward and defender Shinji Ono will be able to play. Indeed, after a disqualification, we will see defender Hidetoshi Nakata on the field. In the 2003 Confederations Cup, Japan withdrew after the group stage, losing to France and Colombia, and thrashing New Zealand 3-0 in the consolation game. Despite all the problems, the strongest Asian team will certainly not be an easy target for the other teams in Group B - Brazil, Greece, and Mexico. It is precisely with the latter team that the Japanese will face on June 16th in their first match in Hanover.
