FIFA U-17 World Cup: Japan look to improve on previous showings

Japan reached the quarter-finals in the first World Cup they qualified for as hosts in 1993 under Tadatoshi Komine. The next time they got that far was in 2011, topping a group that had Argentina, France and Jamaica.

The Blue Samurai blanked New Zealand 6-0 in the next round but missed the last-four berth after losing to Brazil 3-2. This team has some players equated with some legends but coach Yoshiro Moriyama wants his boys to play with 2018 Russia World Cup and 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind.

“This is just the beginning; the world is before them,” he has said. As expected of the Japanese, they have played a slew of friendlies this year to ensure a through preparation.

KNOW THE COACH: Yoshiro Moriyama

Yoshiro Moriyama, 49, is a former Japan defender who has vast experience playing and coaching in the J-League.His boys are known to favour a very compact style of play with a lot of emphasis on percentage football involving swift counter-attacks sandwiched between defensive play. The free-scoring form of the Japanese in the AFC Under-16 championship --- 24 goals in five games --- underscored the effectiveness of Moriyama’s strategy.

PAST U-17 PERFORMANCE: Quarter-finals: 1993, 2011. Round of 16: 2013. Group stage: 1995, 2001, 2007, 2009. Did not qualify: 1985-91, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2015.

PASSAGE TO INDIA: Japan earned a ticket to India by virtue of an impressive performance in the 2016 AFC Under-16 championship.

Results in AFC U-16: Bt Vietnam 7-0; bt Kyrgyzstan 8-0; bt Australia 6-0 (Round 1); Bt UAE 1-0 (Quarter-finals); Lost to Iraq 4-2 (Semi finals)

POSSIBLE GAME CHANGERS

Name: Takefusa Kubo

Age: 16

Club: FC Tokyo

Position: Forward

Why he is special: Dubbed as the Japanese Messi, he is the youngest player to score in the J-League and represented Japan at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in May this year.

Name: Hiroto Yamada

Age: 17

Club: Cerozo Osaka

Position: Forward

Why he is special: Speed and dribbling skill made him the first player born in 2000 to make an appearance in the senior Japanese football league system.

Name: Kosei Tani

Age: 16

Club: Gamba Osaka Youth

Position: Goalkeeper

Why he is special: Three clean sheets in the Asian U-16 last year helped Japan progress to the semi-finals.