[Carson35]

Japan Squad To Take On Real Madrid And Norway
News Archive

05/04/2002.

Japan coach Philippe Troussier has named his squad that will take on their preparations for the World Cup with Friendlies away to Real Madrid and Norway on May 7 and May 14 respectively.

Japan Squad

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth/Eng), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Hitoshi Sogahata (Kashima Antlers)

Defenders: Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuhiro Hato (Yokohama Marinos), Naoki Matsuda (Yokohama), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Koji Nakata (Kashima)

Midfielders: Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka), Daisuke Oku (Yokohama), Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama), Takashi Fukunishi (Iwata), Alessandro Santos (Shimizu S-Pulse), Kazuyuki Toda (Shimizu), Tomokazu Myojin (Kashiwa Reysol), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima), Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal/Eng), Daisuke Ichikawa (Shimizu)

Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma/Ita), Shinji Ono (Feyenoord/Ned)
Forwards: Takayuki Suzuki (Kashima), Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo Osaka), Tatsuhiko Kubo (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima), Yo****eru Yama****a (Vegalta Sendai)

soccerage

 

[Nakata10]

Looks seriously like Nanami will miss the squad. Takahara and Morioka are in danger too with one game remaining after this trip.

 

[ToniSamp]

3 heavy loss.... above all Takahara.

 

[ToniSamp]

However, as regards Nanami, it's a choice of Troussier, cause he played the Nabisco Cup yesterday with Jubilo.

 

[laoer]

we real will have a friendly with japan NT today? is that true?

i just donno know why real would allow such boring and useless match?before the world cup coming,real guys,those hardcores for every NT should take time for break.let alone the CL final will come next week.i really donno if its necessary.

 

[Carson35]

Japan Beaten By Make-Shift Real Madrid
News Archive

05/07/2002.

World Cup co-hosts Japan suffered a setback in their preparations for the big show, as Philippe Troussier's side offered a toothless display in a 1-0 loss to Real Madrid's second-string in the Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Real reserve-team striker Edwin Congo pounced for what proved to be the decisive goal in a dour and rain-soaked affair, the Colombian youngster benefiting from an inviting Roberto Carlos freekick delivery on 28 minutes.

The thunder-thighed Brazilian international as well as Portugal star Luis Figo were replaced on the half-hour mark, meaning that Japan struggled for the rest of the match against a Real side which featured none of their regulars.

Japan have been drawn in Group H for the World Cup, alongside Russia, Belgium and Tunisia.

soccerage

 

[Carson35]

International Friendly Preview: Norway V Japan
Norway - Japan | News Archive

Nakata joins up with Japan's squad (Allsport)
05/13/2002. BACKGROUND

Japan travel to Oslo to take on Norway in their penultimate friendly before the World Cup finally kicks-off in less than three weeks time. The co-hosts' preparations have been hindered following the tragic death of Japan's coach Philippe Troussier's nephew. The Frenchman left his squad to attend the funeral on Saturday and was unable to travel with his players from Madrid, where they had been training, to Oslo.

A boost for the Asian country is that their two star players have finally joined up with the rest of their squad after missing the previous preparations due to club duties. Both players are most certainly on a high as Hidetoshi Nakata is on the back of securing the Italian Cup for Parma and Shinji Ono helped seal the UEFA Cup for Feyenood. Junichi Inamoto also comes from an Arsenal side who have just won a league and cup double, although his role in it has been minimal.

Troussier hasn't named his final 23-strong World Cup squad, so this friendly offers the final chance for players to cement their place in the squad and for some to impress enough to earn a place in the starting line-up.

Norway are in the process of rebuilding following their poor attempt at qualifying for this World Cup. Coach Nils Johan Semb has named an experienced squad with surprisingly no debutantes in preparation for the 2004 European Champions qualification campaign that begins later this year.

TEAM NEWS

Sevilla's goalkeeper Frode Olsen was forced to withdraw from the squad and has been replaced by Brann's Ivar Rønningen. Aalborg's Bård Borgersen has also withdrawn with injury. Southampton's Claus Lundekvam is a surprise recall to the Norwegian national side after a year in exile.

Nakata and Ono join the rest of the squad that were involved in last weeks 1-0 defeat to a Real Madrid reserve side. Japan still have a friendly against Sweden on May 25th, but Troussier must surely be looking at fielding his strongest starting line-up. Although, he may also look at trying a number of midfielders in order to ascertain who he will not be naming in his final World Cup squad.

SQUADS

Norway:

Goalkeepers: Ivar Rønningen (Brann), Thomas Myhre (Besiktas).

Defenders:
Christer Basma (Rosenborg), Henning Berg (Blackburn), André Bergdølmo (Ajax), John Arne Riise (Liverpool), Alexander Aas (Odd Grenland), Ronny Johnsen (Manchester United), Claus Lundekvam (Southampton) .

Midfielders:
Trond Andersen (Wimbledon), Eirik Bakke (Leeds), Tommy Svindal Larsen (Nürnberg), Øyvind Leonhardsen (Tottenham), Jo Tessem (Southampton), Vidar Riseth (1860 München).

Forwards:
John Carew (Valencia), Steffen Iversen (Tottenham), Sigurd Rushfeldt (Austria Wien), Jan Derek Sørensen (Borussia Dortmund), Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Manchester United).

Japan:

Goalkeepers:
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Portsmouth), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight), Hitoshi Sogahata (Kashima Antlers).

Defenders:
Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata), Yasuhiro Hato (Yokohama Marinos), Naoki Matsuda (Yokohama), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Koji Nakata (Kashima).

Midfielders:
Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka), Daisuke Oku (Yokohama), Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama), Takashi Fukunishi (Iwata), Alessandro Santos (Shimizu S-Pulse), Kazuyuki Toda (Shimizu), Tomokazu Myojin (Kashiwa Reysol), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima), Junichi Inamoto (Arsenal), Daisuke Ichikawa (Shimizu), Hidetoshi Nakata (Parma), Shinji Ono (Feyenoord).

Forwards:
Takayuki Suzuki (Kashima), Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo Osaka), Tatsuhiko Kubo (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima), Yo****eru Yama****a (Vegalta Sendai).

soccerage

 

[Carson35]

Wednesday, May 15, 2002

Japan go down 3-0 to Norway

OSLO (Reuters) - Co-hosts Japan lost 3-0 to Norway on Tuesday as their seven-match unbeaten run came to an end ahead of the World Cup finals later this month.

'We played a very bad match,' coach Philippe Troussier said after Norway scored three times in the final 17 minutes in Oslo.

Despite the defeat, Troussier said the friendly had given him some good pointers before he names his 23-man squad for the finals on Friday.

Troussier said that Norway were good practice for the physical style he expects from first group phase opponents Belgium and Russia. In some ways, he said, it was a 'big victory for us'.

Henning Berg broke the deadlock in the 73rd minute, heading home a free kick from Jon Arne Riise.

Four minutes later, substitute Sigurd Rushfeldt made it 2-0 from close range, his first goal for the national team in 13 appearances.

Manchester United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sealed victory with a third goal six minutes from time.

Japan's best chance fell to Takayuki Suzuki but his shot was parried by goalkeeper Thomas Myhre.

Norway, who failed to qualify for the finals, have now played against three of the teams in Japan's World Cup group this year, drawing 0-0 with Tunisia away and losing 1-0 to Belgium in Brussels.

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