National team manager Vahid Halilhodzic declared Japan's performance at the E-1 Football Championship a success despite missing out on the title with a 4-1 defeat to South Korea on Saturday.
"I think getting two wins at this tournament is an excellent result, but it's OK to have a different opinion," Halilhodzic said after leading Japan to second place at the four-team tournament, having beaten North Korea and China in its first two games.
"The World Cup will be a different story. It won't be the same team at the World Cup. I wanted to take a look at new candidates for the World Cup squad here. I used 21 or 22 players, and now I will analyze their performances and decide which of them might be able to go to the World Cup."