The next round of fixtures scheduled to take place on April 23.
Japan National Team
Japan slumped to a 1-0 defeat in hot and humid conditions in Bahrain on March 26, in their second qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Takashi Okada spared Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura the trip to the Middle-East, while Urawa Reds striker Naohiro Takahara picked up an injury on the eve of the match.
Their absences failed to mask a desperately poor showing from the Blue Samurai, with many questioning why not a single satta king Kashima Antlers player was used despite the Ibaraki side lifting last season’s J. League trophy.
Japan now turn their attention to the annual Kirin Cup, where they will face the Ivory Coast at Toyota Stadium on May 24, before taking on Paraguay at Saitama Stadium three days later. Their World Cup campaign resumes on June 2 when they take on Oman in Yokohama.
Japanese players overseas
Takayuki Morimoto : Catania
19-year-old Takayuki Morimoto has spent most of the Serie A season on the sidelines through injury, but the former Tokyo Verdy starlet could feature in Catania’s upcoming Sicilian derby away at Palermo.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto : Salzburg
Former Japan captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto will miss the rest of the Austrian season after tearing his hamstring in two during a training session with his club Salzburg. Miyamoto’s side are just a point behind Rapid Vienna, despite suffering a recent 7-0 home thrashing at the hands of their league leading rivals.
Makoto Hasebe : VfL Wolfsburg
Ex-Urawa Reds midfielder Makoto Hasebe has found his opportunities limited at an-inform VfL Wolfsburg, where he continues to battle for a place in Wolfsburg’s cosmopolitan midfield with Paraguayan international Johnathan Santana.
Shinji Ono : VfL Bochum
After making an excellent start to his Bundesliga career, the highly-experienced Shinji Ono has since struggled in a Bochum jersey. He came off the bench in Bochum’s recent 3-3 draw with local rivals Borussia Dortmund, but did not feature in Bochum’s subsequent defeat away at Bayern Munich.
Takayuki Suzuki : Portland Timbers
Former Japan international Takayuki Suzuki has signed for second-tier US side Portland Timbers. After a failed spell at Red Star Belgrade, the lanky Suzuki was equally disappointing at Yokohama F. Marinos last season, where he featured in just three games.
sattamatka 