Shunsuke Nakamura has threatened to get "ugly" when Japan take on Australia in a 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier.Pim Verbeek's Socceroos, who have yet to concede a goal, top Group A with nine points, two ahead of Japan. Both teams have played three games.Japan and Iran, who host Group B leaders Korea Republic on Wednesday, are both gunning for home victories that would see them leapfrog their group rivals at the halfway stage of the final qualifying round.The 30-year-old Celtic midfielder, who joined Takeshi Okada's squad on Friday after returning from Glasgow, remembered how Japan lost 3-1 to Australia in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup, when all the Socceroo goals came in the final nine minutes.Along with Nakamura, Okada has also called up four other Europe-based players: Eintracht Frankfurt's Junichi Inamoto, Saint-Etienne's Daisuke Matsui, and Makoto Hasebe and Yoshito Okubo of VfL Wolfsburg.Okada again came under pressure following a 1-0 away defeat to lower-ranked Bahrain in an Asian Cup qualifier two weeks ago, although confidence was restored with last Wednesday's 5-1 friendly home win against an under-strength Finland side, with Shinji Okazaki scoring two goals.Verbeek has recalled Everton star Tim Cahill, West Ham defender Lucas Neill and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Vince Grella to his squad, which includes only one domestic A-League player. Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell are ruled out with injuries.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Japan vs Australia Preview
Shunsuke Nakamura has threatened to get "ugly" when Japan take on Australia in a 2010 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifier.Pim Verbeek's Socceroos, who have yet to concede a goal, top Group A with nine points, two ahead of Japan. Both teams have played three games.Japan and Iran, who host Group B leaders Korea Republic on Wednesday, are both gunning for home victories that would see them leapfrog their group rivals at the halfway stage of the final qualifying round.The 30-year-old Celtic midfielder, who joined Takeshi Okada's squad on Friday after returning from Glasgow, remembered how Japan lost 3-1 to Australia in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup, when all the Socceroo goals came in the final nine minutes.Along with Nakamura, Okada has also called up four other Europe-based players: Eintracht Frankfurt's Junichi Inamoto, Saint-Etienne's Daisuke Matsui, and Makoto Hasebe and Yoshito Okubo of VfL Wolfsburg.Okada again came under pressure following a 1-0 away defeat to lower-ranked Bahrain in an Asian Cup qualifier two weeks ago, although confidence was restored with last Wednesday's 5-1 friendly home win against an under-strength Finland side, with Shinji Okazaki scoring two goals.Verbeek has recalled Everton star Tim Cahill, West Ham defender Lucas Neill and Blackburn Rovers midfielder Vince Grella to his squad, which includes only one domestic A-League player. Brett Emerton and Harry Kewell are ruled out with injuries.
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