National team manager Alberto Zaccheroni was looking for improvement in his players' physical condition in Monday's friendly against Costa Rica, but the mental boost they received from their 3-1 win could turn out to be even more important.
Japan came from behind to beat the Central Americans after a rousing second-half performance, with substitute Yasuhito Endo equalizing before Shinji Kagawa put the Asian champions ahead in the 80th minute and Yoichiro Kakitani added a third in the dying stages.
Had Costa Rica taken a 2-0 lead when Japan was reeling at the start of the second half, the effect on morale just over week before the World Cup could have been disastrous. Instead Japan can look toward Brazil knowing it can turn a game around when things are not going according to plan, with concrete evidence that Zaccheroni's attacking tactics are working.