No sooner than one soccer year ends, another one begins.

And if national team manager Alberto Zaccheroni can harness the potential his players showed over the second half of 2010, there is no reason why Japan should not usher in 2011 with victory in the Asian Cup in Qatar over the coming weeks.

Japan kicks off its campaign in the Jan. 7-29 continental championship against Jordan on Sunday, before taking on Syria the following Thursday and rounding off the group stage against Saudi Arabia four days later. Zaccheroni targeted a top-three finish upon taking the job in late August, and on recent form he is well placed to achieve that goal.