Under-fire national team manager Alberto Zaccheroni has defended his record ahead of this month's friendlies against the Netherlands and Belgium, pointing to the medals he has won during his three years in charge as evidence.
Japan heads to Belgium to face the Dutch in Genk on Nov. 16 before taking on the Belgians in Brussels three days later, with criticism of the team still fresh following abject away losses to Serbia and Belarus last month.
But Zaccheroni rejected suggestions that Japan is doomed to struggle at next summer's World Cup in Brazil as he announced his squad on Thursday, insisting that his team has rarely failed to get results when it matters most on his watch since taking over in September 2010.