If Cameroon, the Netherlands and Denmark think they know what to expect from Japan at this summer's World Cup, one glance at Sota Hirayama should be enough to change their minds.
Years of attractive buildup play with no end product have prompted national team manager Takeshi Okada to look for alternatives should his team's expansive passing style fail to hit the mark in South Africa, and the FC Tokyo striker certainly offers something different.
At 190 cm and more comfortable with the ball in the air than at his feet, Hirayama is an artisan in a team of artists. After the bruising Japan has taken so far this year, however, he is an option the manager may be tempted to cash in on when he names his final 23-man squad on May 10.