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FIFA U17 World Cup: Why Japan can be the 'surprise' package?

2836994_full-lnd Internet Desk: Asian powerhouse c will undoubtedly be the "Dark Horse" of the Group 'E'. Japan is clubbed with top teams like Honduras, France and New Caledonia, but has the firepower to qualify for the knock-outs.
Japan have been of the dominant forces in Asian Football in the recent decades. The senion national team have qualified for the past five successive editions of the FIFA World Cup while thir success in Asia has been unparalleled with a record four AFC Asia Cup titles to their name.With a robust and thriving domestic structure in the form of the Japanese League (J-League), youth development has been been a priority for the Japanese Football Association.Despite quaifying an impressive seven times, Japan are yet to make an imprint in the FIFA Under 17 world Cup having progressed no further than the quarter final stage on a couple of occassions. They failed to qualify for the previous edition but have made amends by securing their tickets to India. They have fared much better in Asia with two AFC Under 16 Championships to their name.
Road To India: The 2016 AFC Under 16 Championships held in India served as the qualifacation round to the World Cup with the top 4 teams along with hosts India quailfying for the world summit this October. Japan were in imperious form throughout the group stage sweeping aside their opposition scoring 21 goals and conceding none. They edged past the United Arab Emirates in the quarter finals before eventually succumbing 2-4 to Iraq in the semi-final. None the less, a semi-final appearance was enough for Japan to book their passage to the World Cup in the same country a year later.  Since securing their qualifaction, the Japanese have left no stone unturned in preparations with multiple exposure tours. They have since had tours to Chile, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. They will shortly be participating in the International Youth Soccer festival 2017 in their own backyard from 15th July onwards at Niigata. Post this tournament, the team will be embarking on another overseas tour of the Czech Republic in August. Style: The team is led by former Japan international Yoshiro Moriyama. The 49 year old who was a defender in his playing career has vast experience playing and coaching in the J-League. Moriyama has employed the 4-4-2 formation primarily with the Under 17 side. His side are known to favor a very compact style of play with a lot of emphasis on percentage football. Japan look to utilize quick combinations resulting in swift counter-attacks which can be a threat for any opposition.
Key players: Hiroto Yamada The 17-year old kid is an amazingly exciting player in the Japanese side. Yamada plays for the Japenese side Cerezo Osaka in the J-League. Last year, he made his debut for the Cerezo Osaka Under 23's in a J3 League game and in doing so, became the youngest player ever to make an appearance in the Japanese football league.
Kubo Despite his young age, the boy who has been dubbed as the "Japanese Messi' has already become the lynchpin of FC Tokyo's Under 23 reserve squad and in April this year became the youngest player to score in the J-League at 15 years, 10 months. While the majority of the FIFA U-17 World Cup participants head to India for their global debut, Japan’s Takefusa Kubo will travel to the country relishing the chance of excelling in his second FIFA tournament. The FC Tokyo attacker was, indeed, a surprise inclusion in Japan’s FIFA U-20 World Cup squad earlier this year considering his tender age. Kubo was just 15 years and 351 days on the day the tournament began, making him one of the youngest at Korea Republic 2017. Despite this, Kubo proved that he was not there to make up the numbers. The dynamic teenager featured in three games, notably providing the assist for Japan’s match-winning goal in the 2-1 opening victory against South Africa. Such performances are the envy of most peers, but Kubo, who played as a second-half substitute in their solitary-goal defeat to Venezuela in the second round, was still left ruing the knockout stage loss.

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