If there was a question mark hanging over national team manager Takeshi Okada before Monday's World Cup qualifying match against Oman, his side's comprehensive 3-0 win went a long way toward providing the answers.
Okada's position seemed precarious after a 1-0 defeat to Bahrain in March, and his case was not helped by two mixed performances against Cote d'Ivoire and Paraguay last week that suggested the manager was unsure how to make the most of the cards he has been dealt.
The three points garnered by Monday night's win in Yokohama were reason enough for Okada to feel vindicated, but it was the suitability of each player to the position they were assigned that resonated the most.