18 May 2009(Mon)

May 15, 2009: As Takeshi Okada prepares to name a squad of around 26 players for Japan's next five matches, several names are cropping up as potential candidates.

Certainly the two Kirin Cup games on May 27 and May 31 give the national coach plenty of opportunity to experiment, before the more serious business of the three World Cup qualifiers in the first half of June.

His expanded squad will include the European contingent, though just how many of them Okada will use in the Kirin Cup is unclear.

Take Shunsuke Nakamura, for example.

According to the JFA on Friday he's not in top condition at the end of the Scottish season, and there are still two big matches to play for Celtic as they attempt to hold off Rangers in a tense finish.

Celtic's last match is on May 24, at home to Hearts, so Okada may well be tempted to just leave him out of the Kirin Cup altogether and save him for the World Cup games. I hope so, as he needs a break and Okada knows everything there is to know about him anyway.

This means there will be a starting place up for grabs on the right side of the three in the coach's 4-2-3-1 formation, and I know who I would like to see there.

It is another player Okada knows well, Koji Yamase.

When he is injury free and fully match fit, Yamase is truly a dynamic player and a real handful for any defender. He plays the game at a high tempo, loves to take people on and is never afraid to shoot from distance. In fact he is the kind of player who could fit in anywhere along that line of three in support of the main striker -- right, middle or left, such is his quality.

I really hope Yamase is given another chance as he has such a lot to offer, and still a lot to prove at the highest level; I also hope Yamase, if selected, plays with the same sense of freedom, aggression and adventure that we see with Marinos.

Another player who could be due a return is the Jubilo forward Ryoichi Maeda. Like Yamase, Maeda has been held back by injury, but on his day he is a very lively and effective player.

With the arrival of Korean saviour Lee at Iwata and the cunning presence of Gilsinho, Maeda has been leading the line in the style Okada is looking for in the national team -- mobile, quick and a link for the players around him. Maeda also has the height and the aerial ability to go with his other attributes.

Okada has plenty of options in terms of selection, and the names of Koji Yamase and Ryoichi Maeda must be in his thoughts as he prepares for the May 21 announcement at JFA House.

ends