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It’s been only 16 years since Japan made their debut at the World Cup. Their history in this competition has been fairly short and coming up with a ‘Greatest World Cup XI’ would be a hard task. Nevertheless, many of their players have impressed over the four editions of the World Cup Japan have played in. Here are the best eleven players ever to play for the Samurai Blue at the World Cup (in a 4-2-3-1 formation):
Goalkeeper: Eiji Kawashima
Selecting Kawashima over the popular Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi in this position was a difficult choice but I feel the former makes a better case after his confident displays in the 2010 World Cup. That was the first World Cup he was selected for, and he went to South Africa as understudy to Seigo Narazaki. But when the event began, Kawashima had made the first team spot his own.
After a series of impressive saves in a friendly against England, he went on to play in all of Japan’s matches that summer and came to be recognised as a talented shot-stopper. He kept two clean sheets and only conceded two rather fortuitous goals.
The first was a Wesley Sneijder strike that deflected in off his hands and the second came in the match against Denmark; he guessed right to dive and save Jon Dahl Tomasson’s penalty but failed to stop the striker from tapping the rebound in. Television cameras showed Kawashima punching the ground repeatedly in despair. It was a moment that further endeared him to fans.
Defenders: Alex,Yuji Nakazawa, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, Yuto Nagatomo
At left-back is Alessandro dos Santos, better known as Alex. Some of you may wonder why his name sounds so un-Japanese: it’s because he was born in Brazil. He moved to Japan as a 16 year old and finished his high school studies there. After playing for his school team, he joined a Japanese club and has played in Japan ever since. He received Japanese citizenship in 2001 and one year later, he was called up to the national team.
He played in two games in Japan’s run to the Round of 16 in 2002 and in all three games in the team’s group stage exit in 2006. He is a versatile player, playing on the left of midfield or as a fullback. Tricky and fast, Alex always added something extra to Japan’s team and went on to win 82 caps, scoring 7 goals in the process.
Yuji Nakazawa was a rock in central defence during his illustrious 11 year long stay in the national team, which included appearances at two World Cups (2006 and 2010) and winning two Asian Cup titles (2000 and 2004). The long-haired defender, nicknamed “Bomber”, earned praise for his no-nonsense attitude and some of his tackles are the stuff of legends.
Nakazawa’s contributions sometimes also appeared at the other end too; for a defender, he scored quite a lot of goals. Although he did fare better than many of his teammates in the 2006 World Cup, he surprisingly announced his international retirement soon after it. But he overturned that decision within six months and went on to compete at the World Cup again in 2010, where his performance was considered as one of his best ever.
Nakazawa captained the national team on a number of occasions, and finished his international career with 110 caps and 17 goals.
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto is the second centre back. He will always have a special place in the annals of Japanese football, having captained the national team at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. In 2002, he was only on the bench for the opening game but was thrown into the spotlight when then-skipper Ryuzo Morioka left the field injured. Taking on the captaincy, he led the host nation’s march to the Round of 16 after topping their group.
Playing with a medical mask after a pre-World Cup knock, Miyamoto helped Japan keep consecutive clean sheets against Tunisia and Russia. Japan did get knocked out in the next round; however Miyamoto had impressed enough to keep the captain’s armband, with which he would continue for four more years.
Apart from the two World Cups, he also participated in the 2004 Asian Cup, where he lifted the trophy and was named in the team of the tournament. In 2005-06, Miyamoto found himself in the somewhat ironic situation of being benched for his club Gamba Osaka while captaining the national side!
The right-back position is occupied by Yuto Nagatomo. The dimunitive full-back usually plays on the left but has also deputised on the other side when needed and is therefore selected as the right back in order to accomodate Alex in this lineup.
Nagatomo is one of the most exciting players Japan have ever produced. His great pace and pinpoint crossing has made him an indispensable part of the Japanese team. After making his national team debut in 2008, he came into worldwide prominence with a notable performace at the 2010 World Cup, something which won him a place in Arsene Wenger’s best XI of the tournament.
Europe came calling soon after the World Cup, and Nagatomo signed for Serie A side Cesena. And then another great display at the 2011 Asian Cup led to a move to Inter Milan. Today, Nagatomo goes into the 2014 World Cup having established himself as arguably one of the best left-backs in the world, with consistent performances for both club and country.Midfielders: Hidetoshi Nakata, Junichi Inamoto, Shunsuke Nakamura, Keisuke Honda, Shinji Ono
In central midfield is the team’s icon – Hidetoshi Nakata. He was the face of Japanese football during a decade in which he appeared for the national team in all of their matches at three World Cups: 1998, 2002 and 2006. One of the pioneers of Japanese football in Europe, Nakata paved the way that many of his countrymen would later follow. Alongside an illustrious club career that included stints in Italy and England, Nakata also starred for Japan at major international tournaments like the World Cup, the Olympics and the Confederations Cup.
He was an important part of the team that made its World Cup debut in 1998, scoring five goals during qualification and setting up all three goals in the final play-off against Iran. When the World Cup came to Japan four years later, the stylish midfielder would continue to be influential and scored once in the group game against Tunisia with a bullet header. The 2006 event was his swan song; although Japan exited at the group stage, Nakata played well in midfield, winning the man-of-the-match award against Croatia.
Alongisde Nakata in the centre is Junichi Inamoto, yet another Japanese player who earned fame in Europe. Inamoto was one of Japan’s most talented young players when he went to Arsenal on loan in 2001. It would not work well for him at Highbury and he was released. But a few months later, a superb goal-scoring performance at the 2002 World Cup meant that he would return to Europe, this time with Fulham, where he became a fan favourite.
Further spells at clubs like West Brom, Galatasaray and Eintracht Frankurt would follow for the little talent but it was his performances for Japan that really set him off. His two goals at the Japan’s second-ever World Cup appearance propelled the host team to a surprise Round of 16 spot. The first goal was a fine left footed strike past the Belgian keeper De Vlieger and the second a composed finish into the top corner against Russia. The image of a delighted Inamoto running to celebrate with his finger in the air will be an enduring memory of the 2002 World Cup.
Next up is a player who succeeded Nakata as the global footballing representative of Japan – Shunsuke Nakamura. A midfielder with great vision and technique, he acquired fame with his sensational free-kick taking ability, which he exhibited during his time at Celtic.
Although an important member of the Japan teams that excelled at the Sydney Olympics and the Asian Cup win in 2000, he was a surprising absentee at the 2002 World Cup having failed to find a place in Philippe Troussier’s rigid defensive formations. But four years later, he was considered as the focal point of the attack in Zico’s Japanese team that went to the World Cup in Germany. He scored one goal in the match againt Australia with a chipped pass into the box that missed everybody and crept in.
However, Nakamura failed to take his country to the next round. He would make an appearance at South Africa in 2010 but by that time, his star had almost faded. When announcing his retirement in 2010, Nakamura could look back at an international career that gave him 98 caps with 24 goals, winning the Asian Cup twice and making appearances at two World Cups. He fills the right midfield position in this team.
This team’s playmaker is the current heartthrob of the Japanese team, Keisuke Honda. Playing at his first World Cup in 2010, Honda won many admirers with his excellent play that included two goals, an assist and two man-of-the-match awards. Honda had already been a crucial part of his Eredivisie club VVV-Venlo, but the World Cup announced him on the world stage.
In Japan’s first match against Cameroon, he popped up in the box to finish off Daisuke Matsui’s cross and score the only goal. That gave Japan their first World Cup win on foreign soil and they had Honda to thank for it. In the final group game against Denmark, he first fired a brilliant long range free kick past Thomas Sorensen. And then, he wrong-footed Rommedahl with a clever flick and squared the ball to Okazaki to finish.
By this time, Honda mania had spread all over and newspapers across the world picked on his name to come up with innovative headlines. Now playing at AC Milan, this blond-haired maestro has a chance to further increase his standing among Japanese fans at this year’s World Cup.On the left side we have Shinji Ono. Like Nakata, Ono appeared in three World Cups – 1998, 2002 and 2006. Dubbed “Tensai”, Japanese for ‘Genius’, Ono was a versatile player; he could play as a playmaker, or in central midfield or on either wing. 18 years old and playing in his first World Cup in 1998, he was only a bit-part player, getting just 11 minutes as a substitute against Jamaica. But four years later, he had become a sure starter in the first XI.
A commanding performance in 2002 led to Ono picking up the Asian Player of the Year award. Fans will remember how he set up Takayuki Suzuki to score against Belgium with a superb long ball. After the highs of 2002, Ono’s international career was derailed by injuries and his appearances for the Blue Samurai became limited. Yet in 2006, he was named in the squad for the World Cup in Germany and went on to make a substitute appearance in the 1-3 loss to Australia.
Forward: Masashi Nakayama
Up front, Masashi Nakayama is the lone forward. “Gon”, as he is affectionately known, is a legendary figure in Japan. The all-time top goalscorer of the J-League, Nakayama has had a career filled with plenty of goals. He played for Jubilo Iwata for 19 years, with an average of a goal almost every two games. But his scoring prowess wasn’t limited to his club; he shined at the international scene too, scoring 21 times in 53 games.
In 1993, he was part of the ill-fated Japan team that missed out on a spot at USA ‘94 due to a stoppage time goal. He scored a goal in that match against Iraq but watched in despair as Japan failed to qualify. He wouldn’t let it affect him as he continued to perform well. Four years after that disappointment, Nakayama and Japan found themselves in a similar position as they faced Iran, one step away from qualification for France ‘98.
Nakayama scored again and this time it was all smiles as Japan booked their places at their first-ever World Cup. In France, they lost all three group games but it was still a special debut. Their first-ever World Cup goal came in the match against Jamaica, scored by none other than Masashi ‘Gon’ Nakayama. At the next World Cup at home, Gon was still around at the age of 34 and made an appearance off the bench against Russia.
Substitutes: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Masami Ihara, Yasuhito Endo, Keiji Tamada, Hiroaki Morishima
Honourable mention: It’s cruel that Kazuyoshi Miura fails to make this team, as he was controversially dropped from the 1998 World Cup squad despite scoring 14 goals in qualifying. ‘King Kazu’, as he was popularly known, also scored 13 times in the unsuccessful qualifying campaign for USA ‘94. He was arguably the first true superstar of Japanese football and if things had gone his way, he would have headed this list.
You can read the greatest XI of other teams here: FIFA World Cup Greatest XIs
