By Jeremy Walker
TOKYO (April 20)--Cerezo Osaka have been rewarded for their impressive
start to the J.League season by having two players called up to
Japan's national squad for the April 26 friendly against South
Korea in Seoul.
Cerezo captain Hiroaki Morishima and centre forward Akinori Nishizawa,
who have scored 11 league goals between them this season, were
among a group of 22 announced by national coach Philippe Troussier
on Tuesday.
The list also included Gamba Osaka striker Hiromi Kojima, who
has been promoted from the Olympic squad, and Japan's two Italy-based
midfielders, Hidetoshi Nakata (AS Roma) and Hiroshi Nanami (Venezia).But
it was the return of the Cerezo pair which dominated Troussier's
press conference in Tokyo.
"They belong to one of the best teams in the J.League so far this
season," said the Frenchman.
"They are important players in that team and I want to see if
they can be important players in the national team."
After seven games of the new season, Cerezo are third in the 16-team
first division with 14 points, only one behind Jubilo Iwata and
Yokohama F Marinos.
Morishima, 27, who was a member of Japan's World Cup squad in
France, has scored six goals from his attacking midfield position,
and has been on target for the last five consecutive games.
Nishizawa, 23, who has drifted in and out of the national squad
for the past three years, has scored five times and helped fill
the void left by the departure of last season's leading scorer,
Hwang Sun Hong.
As for Kojima, a 22-year-old striker from Gamba, Troussier added:
"This is his reward for such a good performance in a league game
against FC Tokyo last Saturday (when he scored twice in a 3-1
victory). He deserves the chance to step up from the Olympic team
to the national team."
Japan's last game ended in a 0-0 draw against China at Kobe,
and next week's Seoul test will be the last one for Troussier
before the Japanese Football Association decide in May whether
to extend his contract, which ends in June.
Troussier said he regarded South Korea as Japan's "brother"
because they were growing together and working toward the 2002
World Cup on and off the field.
"But they will have a high morale for this game because we beat
them twice at the Olympic level last year, so they will see this
as a chance for revenge," said Troussier.
"I regard this as the last match in the first stage of developing
this team. I have watched over 140 players at youth, Olympic and
senior levels and now it's time to mix them up and find the best
national team."
The international career of veteran striker Kazuyoshi Miura
looks to be over again, though. He earned his 90th cap as a late
substitute for the injured Shoji Jo against China but has been
omitted from the Korea party.
The squad is: Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Yokohama F
Marinos), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight).
Defenders: Go Oiwa (Grampus), Toshihiro Hattori (Jubilo Iwata),
Ryuzo Morioka (Shimizu S-Pulse), Naoki Matsuda (Marinos), Yuji
Nakazawa (Verdy Kawasaki), Koji Nakata (Kashima Antlers).
Midfielders: Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka), Hiroshi Nanami
(Venezia), Atsuhiro Miura (Marinos), Teruyoshi Ito (S-Pulse),Daisuke
Oku (Jubilo), Hidetoshi Nakata (Roma), Tomokazu Myojin (Kashiwa
Reysol), Shunsuke Nakamura (Marinos), Junichi Inamoto (Gamba).
Forwards: Masashi Nakayama (Jubilo), Akinori Nishizawa (Cerezo),
Atsushi Yanagisawa (Antlers), Hiromi Kojima (Gamba), Naohiro Takahara
(Jubilo).
