IBUSUKI, Kagoshima Pref. -- As many players fight over places on Japan's World Cup squad, Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder Alessandro Santos, known as Alex, calmly expressed his confidence in surviving the selection race.
"Am I confident of remaining on the squad? I am," Santos said on Wednesday after training with the other Japan squad candidates at the Ibusuki Iwasaki Hotel ground for the last three days. "If you are not confident, you cannot survive. I'd like to do it confidently."
It's the first time that Alex has been called up for a Japan national team training camp since the 24-year-old Brazil-born player was granted Japanese citizenship in November, after a long and anxious waiting period.