After a disappointing 2000, both with Japan's Olympic team and in the J. League with JEF United, midfielder Nozomi Hiroyama, now with Cerro Porteno of the Paraguayan League, is aiming to prove himself when Japan plays Paraguay in the Kirin Cup. "After being dropped from the Olympic squad, many people helped me come back to where I am today," Hiroyama said on Thursday after joining Japan's senior side in Yokohama. "This is a good opportunity for me to return their kindness."
The 24-year-old former J. Leaguer flew from Asuncion on Wednesday after helping his team win the Paraguayan League's first stage last weekend.
Hiroyama is one of the new faces in Philippe Troussier's squad for the three-nation Kirin Cup.