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Japan, S.Korea set for East Asian Champs

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-02-04 16:16

TOKYO: Japan and South Korea's domestic players will have a chance to push their World Cup selection hopes when the East Asian Championship begins here on Saturday.

The February 6-14 tournament is a chance for Japan coach Takeshi Okada and South Korean coach Huh Jung-moo to decide which domestic-based players will make their respective squads in South Africa for the World Cup finals.

China and China's Hong Kong are the other two competing teams.

"The tournament is a chance for the players to take their game up another level," Okada said on the Japan Football Association website. "We'll make an assessment after the first two games against China and Hong Kong and have our best team for South Korea."

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Japan has been drawn in Group E against Cameroon, Denmark and the Netherlands at the World Cup finals while the Koreans are in Group B with Argentina, Nigeria and Greece.

Okada will be especially eager to see if Kashima Antlers midfielder Mitsuo Ogasawara can contribute after a long international absence. Ogasawara had Japan's best scoring chance in a 0-0 draw with Venezuela on Tuesday and drew praise from Okada for his aggressiveness.

Sota Hirayama, who came on in the second half and had several good chances against the South Americans, will also be looking to impress Okada.

Japan opens the tournament on Saturday against China, and will then play Hong Kong but the real test for Okada's side will be on February 14 when they face the Koreans.

South Korea is coming off a trip to South Africa and Spain where they lost to Zambia before wins over Finland and Latvia.

During training overseas, Huh tried out several players, including Lee Dong-gook and No Byung-jun, in a forward role but the results were inconclusive. Lee was the 2009 K-League top scorer but has struggled to find his scoring touch with the national team.

South Korea's opening game on Sunday is against Hong Kong.

China coach Gao Hongbo will be hoping a strong performance in Tokyo will reinvigorate a side which seems to have fallen further behind Japan and South Korea.

South Korea won the tournament the previous time it was played in 2008.