Japan head to Wembley ready to show they’re the real deal before World Cup | John Duerden

Fresh from a rampant qualification and a win over Brazil, Hajime Moriyasu’s side want to make another statement with a first victory over EnglandJust before the 2002 World Cup, South Korea played Scotland and England in the space of a few days. A 4-1 win against the former in the second city of Busan was followed by a 1-1 draw on the honeymoon island of Jeju, with the future Manchester United teammates Michael Owen and Park Ji-sung the scorers. These results gave the Taegeuk Warriors the confidence to reach the semi finals.Japan are not on home soil but have lined up the same opposition, beating Scotland 1-0 in Glasgow on Saturday before heading to Wembley on Tuesday. Continue reading...