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Home , Atsuto Uchida, FC Tokyo, Fraser Forster, Gamba Osaka, Hajime Hosogai, Hiroki Sakai

Sports FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2014

Japan are no World Cup underdogs, says coach : Japan coach said yesterday his Brazil but impressed at South Africa 2010 with three draws tack and they are united in defence,” he said. Zaccheroni squad can match Colombia, Ivory Coast and Greece in their at the group stage, are “ideal opponents” at this point. believed Japan, known for their well organised play that World Cup group, despite their underdog status in the “They are physically strong and it will be an important they frequently fail to convert into goals, may not feel there global pecking order. game in our preparations.” is such a gap with group opponents “if we play our own “I am confident we can go head-to-head with any of Japan’s opponents in World Cup Group C are all ranked brand of football”. them if we perform to the best of our abilities,” the Italian higher in the FIFA table. Colombia stand fifth against tactician said as he announced his squad for a friendly Greece (12), Ivory Coast (23) and Japan (50). Squad: against New Zealand in Tokyo next Wednesday. “It is not an easy group but it is well balanced,” Goalkeepers: (Standard Liege/BEL), “About gaps with other teams in the group, I feel there Zaccheroni said. “At the moment, Colombia seem some- (Urawa Reds) Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo) are not so big gaps. I’d rather say there are none.” what ahead as they have wealth of talented players, many Defenders: Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata) Yasuyuki Zaccheroni called up the usual suspects for the 23-man of them playing abroad.” Konno (Gamba ) Masahiko Inoha (Jubilo Iwata) Yuto squad including , who has yet to show a “They are capable of mixing quality with accuracy and Nagatomo (/ITA) (FC Tokyo) spark in AC Milan’s midfield after moving from CSKA speed of play. I have the impression that they are a great (Southampton/ENG) Moscow in January, and Manchester United’s team.” Ivory Coast have the potential to become “the eye of (Hannover/GER) Gotoku Sakai (Stuttgart/GER) who has mostly warmed the bench under David Moyes. the storm”, said Zaccheroni, who took over the Blue : Yasuhito Endo () Toshihiro Inter Milan’s is expected to play left Samurai after they reached the last 16 at South Africa 2010. Aoyama () (Hertha back for Japan as usual. He said the West African nation are accustomed to the Berlin/GER) Keisuke Honda (AC Milan/ITA) Shinji Kagawa But Schalke defender and Nuremberg hot weather they’ll encounter in Brazil. “But they seem to (Manchester United/ENG) were dropped due to injuries. have ups and downs at times.” (Nuremberg/GER) Manabu Saito ( Marinos) The Blue Samurai, four-time Asian champions, will play “Greece are a difficult side to play,” Zaccheroni said, () Cyprus at home on May 27 in their only other warm-up explaining that the former European champions “play a Forwards: (Mainz/GER) match before the World Cup months of June and July. kind of football which cancels out the strengths of (Cerezo Osaka) Masato Kudo () Zaccheroni said New Zealand, who failed to qualify for opponents”. “They are highly accurate on the counterat- (TSV 1860 Munich/GER). —AFP Defoe retained by England as Shaw gets first call-up

LONDON: England manager Roy was the right time to bring him in and Carroll, to force their way into his plans Hodgson yesterday awarded 18-year- give him a chance to show us what he for the World Cup. old Southampton left-back can do.” “This is the 30 I’ve chosen today and his first senior call-up for next week’s Striker Jermain Defoe retained his I’ll stand by it, but but it’s not a definitive friendly match against Denmark at place in the squad despite his imminent squad,” he told a press conference. . move from Tottenham Hotspur to “Andy Carroll has hardly played, but Shaw, an England Under-21 interna- Toronto FC, while Cardiff City centre- we’ll keep an eye on him. Johnson of tional, is one of three left-backs named back Steven Caulker came in for injured course we know, but with the competi- in the 30-man squad alongside Everton man . tion at the moment (in wide areas) I Chelsea’s Ashley Cole and Leighton There was a recall for winger Raheem decided not to include him in the squad. RIO DE JANEIRO: Denis Stracqualursi of Ecuador’s Baines of Everton. Sterling, following some excellent “Gareth Barry has not been with us Emelec, left, heads the ball against Victor Caceres of “Everyone who’s watched him play recent displays for Liverpool, but for these past two years, but I know him Brazil’s Flamengo during a Copa Libertadores soccer recently will not deny that he deserves a Sunderland winger Adam Johnson and and I’d not be averse to calling him up if match in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Wednesday. —AP place in a large squad list. He’s been Everton midfielder Gareth Barry were there was a place in the team.” playing extremely well,” Hodgson said overlooked despite each advancing England’s friendly against Denmark next of Shaw. “It’s a position where we’re very strong cases for call-ups in recent weeks. Wednesday will be Hodgson’s last well off, but he’s a player who wants to However, Hodgson said that it was opportunity to assess the players at his English soccer bid compete with the other two for a place not too late for players not selected, disposal before he names his squad for on the plane to Brazil and I thought it including West Ham United striker Andy the World Cup in Brazil, which begins on farewell to Finney June 12. England 30-man squad to play PRESTON: English soccer bade farewell yesterday to former Denmark in friendly game at Wembley Preston North End and England winger Tom Finney, who Stadium on March 5, announced by died this month aged 91. manager on Thursday: Thousands lined the streets of Preston in north-west Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster England and applauded his cortege as it passed Deepdale sta- (Celtic/SCO), (West Bromwich dium, home of his only club. Albion), (Manchester City), John The city came to a standstill for his funeral and the service Ruddy (Norwich City) at Preston Minster was attended by 600 mourners, including Defenders: Bobby Charlton, Jimmy Armfield and Tommy Docherty. (Everton), (Chelsea), Steven Docherty, who played more than 300 games for Preston, Caulker (Cardiff City/WAL), Ashley Cole told the congregation that Finney was “the greatest player I (Chelsea), (Liverpool), have ever seen. When I see Lionel Messi on the television play- Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris ing for Barcelona I think maybe you could be as good as Tom. Smalling (Manchester United), Kyle “He was quiet and modest but he was amazing, he had two Walker (Tottenham Hotspur). great feet and made ordinary players on his team look good - Midfielders: (Everton), and I should know.” (Manchester United), Finney, who was knighted in 1998 for services to football, (Manchester United), scored 30 goals for England in 76 internationals and played (Liverpool), Jordan 569 matches for Preston from 1946 until he retired in 1960. Henderson (Liverpool), Preston born and bred, Finney never won a major honour (Southampton), but was the first player to win England’s Footballer of the Year (Chelsea), (Manchester award twice, in 1954 and 1957. City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain The vicar of Preston, Father Timothy Lipscomb, said in his (Arsenal), (Liverpool), address: “We remember his loyalty, his humility, his respect for LONDON: England international soccer team manager Roy Hodgson speaks about Andros Townsend (Tottenham Hotspur), local traditions and his self-effacing nature.” the England squad for the upcoming international against Denmark during the (Arsenal) England and Denmark players will wear black armbands press conference at Wembley Stadium, London yesterday. Jermain Defoe retained Forwards: Jermain Defoe (Toronto and fans will be asked to celebrate Finney’s life with a his place in the England squad for the friendly against Denmark on Wednesday FC/CAN), (Southampton), minute’s applause before next week’s friendly international at March 5, 2014, despite his impending move to Canada. Defoe, who has scored 19 Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Wayne Wembley. goals in 55 England games, has appeared in only two Tottenham games in two Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel The armbands and applause will also be a mark of respect months as he prepares to head to Toronto FC for the start of the Major League Sturridge (Liverpool), for former Denmark coach Richard Moeller Nielsen who died Soccer season next month. —AP (Manchester United). —AFP this month aged 76. —Reuters