A file photo of Japan Olympic team during their traning session. Photo by: J-League photos

TOKYO: It may not have been the smoothest of campaigns for Japan’s U-23 team but a draw on Wednesday night against Saudi Arabia at the National Stadium in Tokyo will ensure their participation in the Men’s Olympic Football Tournament for a fourth consecutive time next year.

 

Japan entered last weekend’s clash against Vietnam tied for top spot with Qatar in Group C of the AFC Final Round for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games but their 4-0 win in Hanoi, and the Saudi’s last-ditch 2-1 win over 10-man Qatar in Dammam sent the Japanese two points clear with one game remaining.

 

Qatar can no longer take top spot in the group and Yasuharu Sorimachi’s side only a point to deny the Saudis a place in China.

 

With the result of the Qatar-Vietnam game inconsequential to the final outcome of the group, coach Sorimachi can turn his full attention to events in Tokyo.

 

“We are now in a position to play the game with our focus fully set,” said the 43-year-old.

 

“I don’t expect Saudi Arabia to make any major changes from their previous five games. But they are a strong and skillful team.

 

“We would like to prepare to play a solid game against them. We are not going for a draw.”

 

“We’d like to bring good news to Mr Osim,” added Sorimachi, who is also an assistant to Japan head coach Ivica Osim, who is recovering at a Chiba hospital after suffering a stroke last weekend.

 

While Sorimachi has retained the players who performed so well in Vietnam, he has recalled forward Yasuhito Morishima, who was suspended last weekend.

 

The team returned from the Vietnamese capital on a chartered flight on Sunday and held a training session in Tokyo just hours later. Defender Hiroki Mizumoto, who suffered a broken nose on Saturday, trained with the team, wearing a mask to protect himself.

 

“I can’t be concerned with the pain,” said the Japanese captain. “We’ve only got 90 minutes to go.”

Saudi Arabia arrived in Tokyo on Sunday night and trained at a ground in Chiba ground on a chilly Monday evening.

 

The 22-strong squad includes skipper Abdullatif Al Ghannam, who scored the winning goal against Qatar on Saturday, but they will be missing defender Ibrahim Shrahili, who picked up his second yellow card against Qatar, and forward Naif Hazazi, who was sent off in stoppage time at the end of the game.

 

Coach Nasser Al Johar will also be replaced on the bench by assistant Omar Bakhashwein after being sent to the stands during the heated encounter with the Qataris.

 

The Saudis also have injury concerns with defender Abdulaziz Abdulsalam, midfielder Mutaz Al Mousa and striker Sanad Shrahilee definitely missing and doubts over the fitness of midfielder Ali Al Bishi and strikers Ahmed Al Sowaileh and Majed Abdullwahed.

 

The previous meeting between the two sides in Dammam in September finished in a goalless draw.