Japan and New Zealand FIFA World Cup 2010 Squads Named

Japan coach Takeshi Okada and New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert announced their 23-member World Cup squads on Monday.

Japan has included four European-based players (Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow, Makoto Hasebe of VfL Wolfsburg, Daisuke Matsui of French side Grenoble and Takayuki Morimoto of Italian club Catania ) in squad made up primarily of Japanese J. League Division 1 players.

Japan are pooled with Cameroon, the Netherlands and Denmark in Group E of the World Cup.

Meanwhile, New Zealand have included surprise call-up Jeremy Christie of USSF Division 2 FC Tampa Bay Rowdies among a roster that includes New 12 overseas-based players, including Blackburn defender Ryan Nelsen.

New Zealand will play defending champions Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia in Group F of their first FIFA World Cup since 1982.

FIFA’s deadline for the final 23-man squads of the 32 teams participating in the World Cup is June 1.

Japan 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Squad

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo Iwata), Seigo Narazaki (Nagoya Grampus), Eiji Kawashima (Kawasaki Frontale).

Defenders: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Nagoya Grampus), Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Daiki Iwamasa (Kashima Antlers), Yasuyuki Konno (FC Tokyo), Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo), Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers).

Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Yokohama F Marinos), Junichi Inamoto (Kawasaki Frontale), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka), Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Daisuke Matsui (Grenoble), Yuki Abe (Urawa Reds) Makoto Hasebe (VfL Wolfsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow).

Forwards: Keiji Tamada (Nagoya Grampus), Yoshito Okubo (Vissel Kobe), Kishi Yano (Albirex Niigata), Shinji Okazaki (Shimizu S-Pulse), Takayuki Morimoto (Catania).

New Zealand 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Squad

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (Team Wellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls, United States), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, England), Winston Reid (Midtjylland, Denmark), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich, England), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (Tampa Bay, United States), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (no club), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell, Scotland), David Mulligan (no club),

Forwards: Rory Fallon (Plymouth, England). Chris Killen (Middlesbrough, England), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion, England)