Profile of World Cup finalists part two

Yesterday I profiled Australia and Holland two of the five who have qualified for next years World Cup. Today its the turn of the other three teams Japan, North Korea and South Korea. The three Asian teams have all appeared at previous tournaments with differing success.

Japan

How they qualified

Japan qualified second in group 1 of the Asian section, five points behind group winners Australia. It was a comfortable campaign with the other teams in the group Bahrain, Qatar and Uzbekistan relative minors compared to their bigger rivals. Japan suffered their only defeat at the hands of the Australian’s. The Japanese suffering a 2-1 defeat in Melbourne.

The Boss

Takeshi Okada

The 53 year-old is a former Japanese international, making 24 appearances for his country and scoring one goal. Hes currently in his second spell as national managed having managed the team for a year from 1997-1998. He returned to the job in 2007 after previously boss Ivica Osim suffered a stroke. He has also managed Consadole Sapporo and Yokohama Marinos in his homeland.

The Squad

The Japanese squad is a good blend of experienced and young players. One of those experience players is former Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura. He has good European experience and moved to La Liga with Espanyol this summer. Also involved in the squad is former Arsenal and Fulham midfielder Junichi Inamoto who is now with French Ligue 1 side Rennes. The 29 year-old has won over 70 caps for his country.

At the opposite end of the age scale 21 year-old striker Takayaki Morimoto is a promising youngster and has caused a stir in Italy with Serie A club Catania. Another youngster to watch out for is Shimizu S-Pulse star Shinji Okazaki. The 23 year-old is rated highly in his homeland and is expected to move abroad in the near future.

North Korea (Korean DPR)

How they qualified

The North Koreans have qualified for the finals for the first time since they made the quarter-finals in World Cup 1966 . At that World they upset the Italians 1-0 at Ayresome Park. The North Koreans finished second in group 2 of the Asian section four points behind group winners and bitter rivals North Korea.

The Boss

Kim Jong-Hun

The North Korean boss is Kim Jong-Hun. The coach sticks to a very defensive 5-4-1, as he believes it suits his players. He is also a meticulous planner and has put qualification down to planning. The boss has also put his players under more intensive fitness training to compensate for their physical inferiority.

The Squad

The players from the North Korea squad mostly play in their homeland. Although striker and top scorer in qualification Hong Yong-Jo plies his trade in Russia with FC Rostov. Fellow striker Jong Sa-Tae plays in the Japanese J-League with Kawasaki Frontale. Midfielder Ahn Young-Hak is also an experienced J-League campaigner and is currently with Suwon Samsung Bluewings.

South Korea (Korean Republic)

How they qualified

South Korea qualified top of group 2 in the Asian section. They finished four points ahead of neighbours North Korea. They managed to qualify undefeated, winning four and drawing four games. The Koreans have qualified for seven previous World Cup finals, including when they were co-hosts with Japan in 2002. They reached the semi-finals, the best ever World Cup finals performance by an Asia team.

The Boss

Huh Jung-Moo

Huh Jung-Moo enjoyed three years in Holland’s Eredivisie with PSV Eindhoven as a player. He played 77 games for the Dutch side and scored 15 goals. Moo has major experience being constantly involved in the national side since 1989 when he was first appointed boss. He returned to be National team boss in 2007 after a two year spell with Korean K-League side Chunnam Dragons.

The Squad

In recent years players from South Korea have joined clubs throughout Europe. Their captain Park Ji-Sung plays for Premier League champions Manchester United and finished top scorer in qualification with five goals. Also in their squad are Wigan’s Cho Won-Hee and Bolton new boy Lee Chung-Yong. Highly rated striker Park Chu-Young currently stars for Monaco in Ligue 1.