BONN -- The long, long wait is finally over.
Japan takes on Australia on its opening World Cup Group F match in Kaiserslautern on Monday, and captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto says his "mature" Japan teammates are oozing confidence ahead of the clash.
"We have a lot players here who were around four years ago, and that should help," Miyamoto said after the final training session in Bonn on Saturday before the team headed for Kaiserslautern. "But the atmosphere in the team is completely different from last time."