Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
Saitama: Keisuke Honda will return for Japan as the Samurai Blue aim to secure qualification for the FIFA World Cup finals in Brazil next year by picking up at least a point when they face Australia at Saitama Stadium on Tuesday.
Alberto Zaccheroni’s team go into the meeting with the Socceroos in the re-run of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup final – which Japan won thanks to an extra-time strike by Tadanari Lee – having lost their most recent qualifier against Jordan in Amman in March.
Honda missed that game due to injury but the CSKA Moscow star is fit again and helped his club win the Russian FA Cup at the weekend before travelling to Japan to link up with his team mates ahead of the crucial qualifier.
“Honda played 70 minutes in his latest game, and I am expecting I can play Honda longer than he played in the previous game,” said Japan’s Italian coach.
“He can provide us with decisiveness in finishing and that is an additional weapon to us.”
The former Nagoya Grampus and VVV Venlo midfielder – who was the Most Valuable Player at the AFC Asian Cup two years ago – is expected to take up his customary berth behind striker Ryoichi Maeda with Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa filling the slot on the left and Shinji Okazaki on the right.
A point will be enough to secure passage to Brazil 2014 and a fifth straight FIFA World Cup for the Japanese and the significance is not lost on Zaccheroni.
“We have worked on our fitness, techniques, tactics and mental part and have prepared well for the game,” he said “We all know our opponents very well as we have played twice [in my reign], and we’d like to play them with respect.
“What I am feeling now is similar to what I feel a day before a final. It has been a long fight to come here and we’ve encountered so many things on our way. We should get ready to get our objective done.”
Japan top Group B while the Australians are in third place, just behind Jordan with three games remaining including two at home – against the Jordanians and Iraq – in the coming weeks.
Captain Lucas Neill returns to the squad after missing the 2-2 draw with Oman due to suspension while former AFC Player of the Year Sasa Ognenovski is expected to join him in the centre of defence after being recalled to the squad by head coach Holger Osieck.
“Tomorrow is the first game of the final part of our qualification campaign, and we start with a road game against Japan, who have done well so far in the qualifying,” said the German.
“So, I expect an interesting and intense game tomorrow. Of course, it’s a very important for us to get a positive result in order to be ready for the rest of the qualifying games, the two games to be played in Australia.
“We have a great potential now in our team. We are mixed with our experienced players and some upcoming guys who have lined out for international football. For me as a coach I’m very much convinced of our team. We have a quality group, we have a lot to offer, we play some technical football, we are technically well balanced. So, that is our strength.”