Thirteen members of Japan's under-23 Olympic team will feature in the 22-man senior squad for this month's home friendly against the United Arab Emirates, the Japan Football Association said Thursday.
Coach Philippe Troussier has given himself a choice of six strikers for the Aug. 16 fixture in Hiroshima, including Kashima Antlers striking duo Atsushi Yanagisawa and Tomoyuki Hirase as well as Akinori Nishizawa, who is expected to be used as an "overage" player at next month's Sydney Olympics.
Kyoto midfielder Shigeyoshi Mochizuki, one of three players axed for disruptive behavior by Nagoya Grampus Eight last month, is also included in the squad, which misses three European-based players: Hidetoshi Nakata, Shoji Jo and Hiroshi Nanami.