Japan World Cup 2002

Japan World Cup Achievements

Qualified as co-hosts
Appearing for the second time (1998, 2002)
Best result: failed to get past group stage
Approx odds: 80-1

Japan World Cup Squad

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

Defenders:
Yutaka Akita (Kashima), Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata), Ryuzo Morioka (Shimizu), Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Naoki Matsuda (Yokohama Marinos), Koji Nakata (Kashima).

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

Strikers:
Masashi Nakayama (Jubilo Iwata), Takayuki Suzuki (Kashima), Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo Osaka), Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima).