Japan, who are known to face Germany in the group stage of the 2022 World Cup, have announced their World Cup squad. Including eight Germany legionnaires.
Germany’s group opponents Japan will travel to Qatar for the World Cup with a total of eight professionals from the Bundesliga and 2nd Division.
National coach Hajime Moriyasu nominated Ritsu Doan (24/SC Freiburg), Daichi Kamada (26/Eintracht Frankfurt), Takuma Asano (27/VfL Bochum), Wataru Endo (29), Hiroki Ito (23/both VfB Stuttgart), Ko Itakura (25/Borussia Mönchengladbach), Maya Yoshida (34/Schalke 04) from the 1st Bundesliga and Ao Tanaka (24) from the second division club Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Somewhat surprisingly, veteran Genki Haraguchi of Bundesliga leaders 1. FC Union Berlin and former Bundesliga professional Yuya Osako will not be taking part in the tournament, which begins on 20 November in the Gulf Emirate. Osako, now 32, played for 1. FC Köln and Werder Bremen, but has been back in his homeland with Vissel Kobe since last year.
“Our goal is to at least reach the quarter-finals. It won’t be easy,” Moriyasu stressed at a press conference. Japan will face Germany, Spain and Costa Rica in Group E in Qatar. Germany and Japan will play their first match in Group E at the World Cup on 23 November.
The Japanese World Cup line-up:
Goal: Shuichi Gonda (Shimizu S-Pulse), Eiji Kawashima (Racing Strasbourg), Daniel Schmidt (VV St. Truiden)
Defence: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Maya Yoshida (Schalke 04), Takehiro Tomiyasu (FC Arsenal), Hiroki Sakai (Urawa Red Diamonds), Yuta Nakayama (Huddersfield Town), Shogo Taniguchi (Kawasaki Frontale), Ko Itakura (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Miki Yamane (Kawasaki Frontale), Hiroki Ito (VfB Stuttgart)
Midfield: Wataru Endo (VfB Stuttgart), Hidemasa Morita (Sporting Lisbon), Ao Tanaka (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt), Junya Ito (Stade Reims), Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton & Hove Albion), Takumi Minamino (AS Monaco), Yuki Soma (Nagoya Grampus), Gaku Shibasaki (CD Leganes), Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad San Sebastian), Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg)
Attack: Daizen Maeda (Celtic Glasgow), Takuma Asano (VfL Bochum), Ayase Ueda (Cercle Brugge)