SAITAMA — Less than two years ago, it was almost impossible to imagine a national team without Keita Suzuki.
But as Japan prepares to take on Ghana in the Netherlands on Wednesday, the Urawa Reds captain is at home with other things on his mind.
Reds have plummeted from second to ninth in the J. League table after a scarcely believable run of seven straight losses, the slump reaching a farcical nadir when Vissel Kobe took just 18 seconds to open the scoring in the latest of those defeats.