Japan coach Zico went for experience in naming his World Cup squad on Monday but there was a twist as he selected little-used striker Seiichiro Maki. The Brazilian axed Yokohama's Tatsuhiko Kubo in favour of Maki, whose inclusion in the 23-man squad prompted loud gasps at a packed news conference.
"This is a team the people of Japan can be proud of," Zico told reporters. "We will be judged on our results. The buck stops with me."
Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Yoichi Doi (FC Tokyo), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus Eight)
Defenders: Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (Gamba Osaka), Alex (Urawa Reds), Yuji Nakazawa (Yokohama F-Marinos), Makoto Tanaka (Jubilo Iwata), Akira Kaji (Gamba Osaka), Keisuke Tsuboi (Urawa Reds), Yuichi Komano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
Midfielders: Hidetoshi Nakata (Bolton Wanderers), Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Shinji Ono (Urawa Reds), Junichi Inamoto (West Bromwich Albion), Koji Nakata (FC Basel), Takashi Fukunishi (Jubilo Iwata), Mitsuo Ogasawara (Kashima Antlers), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka)
Forwards: Atsushi Yanagisawa (Kashima Antlers), Naohiro Takahara (Hamburg), Masashi Oguro (Grenoble), Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus Eight) Seiichiro Maki (JEF United Chiba)
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