Japan: Shinji Kagawa
After topping their qualifying group to reach a sixth consecutive World Cup, Japan have gone through quite a turbulent few months with recent developments seeing their head coach, Vahid Halilhodzic, sacked just two months out from the showpiece and replaced with Akira Nishino.
Halihodzic had been criticized for his counter-attacking style, at odds with a Japanese team that usually enjoys holding onto the ball. Japanese fans will be pleased to see Halihodzicas gone, because it means star man Shinji Kagawa can be reintroduced into the fray.
The Bosnian’s reign over Japan saw players like Kagawa dropped as they didn’t fit the coache’s philosophy. Having said that, it hasn’t been an easy season for Kagawa at club level. The Japanese playmaker has been struggling with injury for much of the season, and hasn’t had the chance to showcase his best form for either club or country.
That shouldn’t distract anyone from the clear talent of Kagawa. At his peak with Dortmund, he was involved in 35 goals over a two-year spell that saw him score 21 of those. Ostracized by Peter Bosz for the first half of the season, the midfielder was in great form before his injury under caretaker manager Peter Stoger. He started in Stoger’s first six games as coach and scored thee goals.
In nearly 100 caps, Kagawa has scored 29 goals and it will be crucial for Japan that he finds some consistency before the World Cup starts if they wish to get out of the group stages for just the third time in their history.