World Cup Class of 2018: Japan

Population: 126.7 million

Capital: Tokyo

Team Colors: Blue and White

How Qualified: Won AFC Group B

Nickname: Blue Samurai

6th World Cup

Head Coach: Akira Nishino (JPN)

Key Players: Keisuke Honda (Pachuca), Genki Haraguchi (Fortuna Dusseldorf), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund)

Best Performance: Second Round (2002, 2010)

Can they get to the back to the knockout stage? If the pattern holds true from previous five World Cups for Japan, they will. However, they will also have a coach who hasn’t been in the technical area in three years. This is the sixth straight for the Blue Samurai.

There was a slow start in the final round of qualifying for the four-time Asian Cup Champions after a home defeat to United Arab Emirates, but they would win six of their next eight qualifiers to clinch qualification with a match to spare.

However, fter disappointing friendly performances in late March, Japan sacked Vahid Halilhodzic and appointed Technical Director Akira Nishino—who hasn’t been in the technical area since 2015 with Nagoya Grampus Eight. Nishino was the manager when Japan stunned Brazil at the 1996 Summer Olympics at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Nishino’s resume was leading Gamba Osaka to the J-League title in 2005 and then AFC Champions League glory in 2008.

He will have a tough task in front of him in Russia. Group H is tricky with Colombia, Senegal, and Poland. If Japan can regain the form they had between the home loss to United Arab Emirate and the dead rubber loss to Saudi Arabia, then the pattern of making it to the second round in every other World Cup just might continue.

Schedule:

June 19: vs. Colombia in Saransk (7am CT on FS1/Telemundo)

June 24: vs. Senegal in Yekaterinburg (10am CT on FOX/Telemundo)

June 28: vs. Poland in Volgograd (9am CT on FS1/NBC Universo)