The Japan Football Association has named a 30-man provisional list of players for the men's team for next month's Athens Olympics, which features European-based "over-age" players Shinji Ono and Naohiro Takahara.
The list, which was submitted by the JFA to FIFA on Friday, will be trimmed down to 18 players for the final squad before the final July 21 deadline set by Olympic organizers.
Coach Masakuni Yamamoto selected Feyenoord midfielder Ono, Hamburg SV striker Takahara and Kashima Antlers goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata for the provisional squad as the three over-age players.
Tsuboi ruled out
Urawa Reds defender Keisuke Tsuboi injured his left hamstring in Friday's Kirin Cup match and will be replaced by Yokohama F. Marinos defender Naoki Matsuda in Japan's squad for the upcoming Asian Cup, the Japan Football Association said Saturday.