Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni said on Monday he looks forward to seeing how his team puts his play manual to work in a friendly against South Korea on Tuesday night in Seoul.
"This will be an important match for both countries. I want to see how the players are able to express themselves with the instructions I give them," Zaccheroni said ahead of Japan's first contest against South Korea in Seoul in seven years.
The Italian coach, coming off a dream start in his new job with a 1-0 win over Argentina last Friday, had his side go through final drills in a simulated game in Paju in the north, where the South Korean team also held practice.
Both Japan and South Korea made it to the round of 16 for the first time on foreign soil at the World Cup in South Africa.
South Korean coach Cho Kwang Rae, who revealed that the squad will be without Manchester United midfielder Park Ji Sung due to a right knee injury, said, "The Japanese team's defense has obviously gotten better and they're fast at moving the ball forward. I plan to use my fastest players to deal with them," Cho said.
Japan has an 11-38 record with 20 draws against South Korea.