National team manager Takeshi Okada is confident his side will be in fighting shape for next week's World Cup-qualifying showdown with Australia, starting with a sparring match against Finland on Wednesday night.
Japan heads into the friendly against the Europeans at Tokyo's National Stadium fresh from a dismal 1-0 Asian Cup-qualifying defeat to Bahrain. But with only a week to go before the unbeaten Australians arrive, Okada is keen to get his players quickly attuned to their opponent's physical style.
"Finland play a very similar pressing game to Australia, so this should be a good simulation for us," Okada said on Tuesday night.