JAPAN U-20 SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT FOR 2018 AFC U-23 CHAMPIONSHIP CHINA QUALIFIERS

Japan Football Association (JFA) has called up the U-20 squad that will be heading to Cambodia for the 2018 AFC U-23 Championship China Qualifiers in Phnom Penh from 19 to 23 July 2017.

The Samurai Blue are in Group J with qualification group host Cambodia, finals host China PR and Philippines.

A total of 16 teams (10 group winners and 5 best runners-up) from Groups A-J will advance to the finals, including China PR who qualified automatically as hosts. If China PR win their group or are among the five best runners-up, the sixth best runner-up also qualifies for the final tournament.

GOALKEEPERS
1 Ryosuke Kojima / 小島 亨介 (Waseda University)
12 Go Hatano / 波多野 豪 (F.C. Tokyo)
23 Louis Takaji Julien Yamaguchi / 山口 瑠伊 (Extremadura UD/Spain)

DEFENDERS
2 So Fujitani / 藤谷 壮 (Vissel Kobe)
3 Yuta Nakayama / 中山 雄太 (Kashiwa Reysol)
4 Kou Itakura / 板倉 滉 (Kawasaki Frontale)
5 Takahiro Yanagi / 柳 貴博 (F.C. Tokyo)
15 Taiyo Koga / 古賀 太陽 (Kashiwa Reysol)
19 Kakeru Funaki / 舩木 翔 (Cerezo Osaka)
22 Yugo Tatsuta / 立田 悠悟 (Shimizu S-Pulse)

MIDFIELDERS
6 Tsukasa Morishima / 森島 司 (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
7 Akito Takagi / 髙木 彰人 (Gamba Osaka)
8 Koji Miyoshi / 三好 康児 (Kawasaki Frontale)
10 Daisuke Sakai / 坂井 大将 (Oita Trinita)
11 Keita Endo / 遠藤 渓太 (Yokohama F・Marinos)
16 Teruki Hara / 原 輝綺 (Albirex Niigata)
17 Mizuki Ichimaru / 市丸 瑞希 (Gamba Osaka)
18 Takeaki Harigaya / 針谷 岳晃 (Jubilo Iwata)
21 Hiroki Ito / 伊藤 洋輝 (Jubilo Iwata U-18)

FORWARDS
9 Ren Komatsu / 小松 蓮 (Sangyo Noritsu University)
13 Yuya Nakasaka / 中坂 勇哉 (Vissel Kobe)
14 Kyosuke Tagawa / 田川 亨介 (Sagan Tosu)
20 Reo Hatate / 旗手 怜央 (Juntendo University)

COACHING STAFF
Coach: Atsushi Uchiyama / 内山 篤 (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Assistant Coach: Yasuhiko Kimura / 木村 康彦 (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Goalkeeper Coach: Yohei Sato / 佐藤 洋平 (JFA National Coaching Staff)
Conditioning Coach: Naoki Hayakawa / 早川 直樹 (JFA National Coaching Staff)

MATCH SCHEDULE
Japan vs Philippines
19 July 2017, 3:30pm (Local Time)

Cambodia vs Japan
21 July 2017, 6:30pm (Local Time)

Japan vs China PR
23 July 2017, 3:30pm (Local Time)

All matches will be played at the National Olympic Stadium.

Image credit: Japan Football Association

Founder and photographer of Playmaker.

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