Worldcup 1998 : Participants, JAPAN.

JAPAN
WC98 qualifiactions
country

Japan Professional
Football League

Asia
Coach : Takeshi OKADA
Will organize, with South Korea,
the Cup in 2002.
FIFA World Ranking (05/1998) :
12th

For the first time in the history,
Japan will participate to the final phase of the soccer World Cup.

Selection 1998 of Japan
Goalkeeper:
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Yokohama Marinos), Nobuyuki Kojima (Bellmare Hiratsuka), Seigo Narazaki (Yokohama Flugels).
Defenders:
Yutaka Akita (Kashima Antlers), Norio Omura (Yokohama Marinos), Masami Ihara (Yokohama Marinos), Toshihide Saito (Shimizu S-Pulse), Eisuke Nakanishi (JEF United Ichihara), Akira Narahashi (Kashima Antlers), Naoki Soma (Kashima Antlers).
Midfielders:
Shinji Ono (Urawa Red Diamonds), Hidetoshi Nakata (Bellmare Hiratsuka), Takashi Hirano (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Hiroshi Nanami (Jubilo Iwata), Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka), Motohiro Yamaguchi (Yokohama Flugels), Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata), Teruyoshi Ito (Shimizu S-Pulse).
Forwards:
Masayuki Okano (Urawa Red Diamonds), Shoji Jo (Yokohama Marinos), Masashi Nakayama (Jubilo Iwata), Wagner Lopes (Bellmare Hiratsuka).

To resume the preliminary competition

Composition of the group A of the final round in Asian Area :
South Korea, Kazakhstan, United A.E., Uzbekistan.

Matches played in the final round

JAPAN

6-3
0-0
1-2
1-1
1-1
1-1
2-0
5-1

Uzbekistan
United A.E.
South Korea
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
United A.E.
South Korea
Kazakhstan

**Final table of the preliminary competition**
Pos	J	G	N	P	Buts	Pts
2	8	3	4	1	17:9	13

1st round results

Team of the eliminatories France98.

AKITA Yutaka
HIRANO Takashi
HONDA Yasuto
IHARA Masami
JO Shoji
KAWAGUCHI Yoshikatsu
KITAZAWA Tsuyoshi
KOJIMA Nobuyuki
MAEZONO Masakiyo
MIURA Kazuyoshi
MORISHIMA Hiroaki
NAKAMURA Tadashi

NAKATA Hidetoshi
NANAMI Hiroshi
NARAHASHI Akira
NISHIZAWA Akinori
OKANO Masayuki
OMURA Norio
SAITO Toshihide
SOMA Naoki
TAKAGI Takuyo
YANAGIMOTO Hiroshige
YAMAGUCHI Motohiro

JAPAN
Country caracteristics:
125.479.000 inhabitants,
377.818 km²
City:
Tokyo
System of government :
Constitutional Monarchy
Time difference :
+ 7 hours with Paris
Colors:
blue t-shirt, white short, blue socks

Federation:
Football Association of Japan creates in 1921
Principals clubs:
Kashima Antiers, Verdy Kawasaki, Yokohama Marinos.
Principals stadiums:
National Olympic Stadium (Tokyo, 60.000), Universiade Memorial (Kobe, 60. 000), Hiroshima Park Main Stadium (Hiroshima, 50.000), Mizuho Stadium (Nagoya, 30.000).