Two previously uncapped players -- Shimizu S-Pulse midfielder Alessandro "Alex" Santos and Kashima Antlers' Mitsuo Ogasawara -- have been called up for Japan's upcoming two friendlies, against Ukraine next Thursday in Osaka and Poland away on March 27, Japan coach Philippe Troussier announced Wednesday in Tokyo.
The squad for the Poland game will feature European-based players -- Parma midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, Arsenal midfielder Junichi Inamoto, Feyenoord midfielder Shinji Ono and Portsmouth goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi. Those players will not participate in the Ukraine game.
Jubilo Iwata defender Hideto Suzuki made the national squad for the first time since he joined Japan's 1999 Copa America tour. Suzuki played once for Japan in 1997 during the '98 World Cup first-round qualifiers with ex-manager Shu Kamo.