Following a turbulent year that brought joy and heartbreak, the Japan men's national team will head to the Asian Cup full of optimism, with a new core of emerging players.
The Samurai Blue will kick off the Jan. 5 to Feb. 1 tournament in the United Arab Emirates as one of the favorites following a vastly more positive buildup than this summer's World Cup in Russia.
The team is undefeated in five matches under new manager Hajime Moriyasu, an assistant to predecessor Akira Nishino in Russia, and has played an engaging brand of soccer centered on an attacking trio left out of the World Cup squad.