Honda fit and ready for Brazil friendly test

WROCLAW, Poland — Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda is ready to roll against Brazil after the CSKA Moscow man finally took part in full-blown training on Sunday.

Honda remained rooted to the bench in Friday's 1-0 victory over France, nursing a bruised right calf that he picked up while playing for CSKA just before the international week.

But Honda, arguably coach Alberto Zaccheroni's most trusted and tried player, and who has served as the focal point of the Japanese attack, trained with the team during a closed session upon arriving in Poland for Tuesday's friendly versus the five-time World Cup winner.

"We couldn't have had a worse first half," Honda said. "The result was too good to be true."

"Our performance was just acceptable, nothing more. I was watching and I thought we were intimidated by them in the first half. If all we want to do is reach the quarterfinals at the next World Cup, then yesterday's game will do.

"But this Japan team, we're capable of a lot more."

While Japan recorded its first-ever win over Les Bleus through a very late goal by Shinji Kagawa, the Asian champions could surely use Honda against Brazil, after failing to click for large phases of the game.

Had it not been for goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima's man-of-the-match caliber performance, there was a chance Japan could have been embarrassed by France — just like 11 years ago when it was humbled 5-0 at the Stade de France under Philippe Troussier.

Japan was without Honda as well as first-choice attacking players Ryoichi Maeda and Shinji Okazaki, and had to cope with an out-of-shape captain Makoto Hasebe, whose lack of playing time for his club (zero appearances this season for Wolfsburg) must be a growing concern for Zaccheroni.

But the consensus among the team is that Japan still should have performed better.

"What we have been saying amongst us players is that we should have seen way more time on the ball," Manchester United playmaker Kagawa said. "We're capable of doing more from a technical, tactical standpoint.

"We should have shown what we can do right from the first half. When you stop to think about it, we didn't accomplish a great deal on the pitch apart from the result."

Japan has never beaten Brazil in eight previous meetings, and the most recent one did not end well. The Brazilians at that time hammered Zico's Japan 4-1 in the last group game of the 2006 World Cup.

"I think you have to look at how far we've come as a team," said Zaccheroni, who took over for Takeshi Okada after the 2010 World Cup and led Japan to a record fourth continental title in January 2011.

"We haven't had too many games where we didn't score so I think we're improving on that front. And we also don't concede that often, either. We've become a very balanced team.

"Up until now, most of our matches were against Asian sides. But the purpose of this trip is to see how we stack up against the world's best teams and we will play another one on Tuesday."

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Honda scores brace in CSKA win

MOSCOW — Japan midfielder Keisuke Honda delivered on his promise to bring out "the ketchup" for CSKA Moscow on Sunday, hitting both goals in a 2-0 home win over Alania Vladikavkaz.

Honda scored his first in the 49th minute before sealing the victory five minutes from time with his fourth goal of the season for the Army Men, who rose to second place, one point off the pace of Terek Grozny.

Honda had fired blanks for his country in a 1-0 World Cup qualifying win at home against Zico's Iraq last week, likening the performance to a bottle of ketchup and vowing to find the net once he returned to club soccer.

"I remember a striker once saying goals are like ketchup — sometimes it doesn't come out of the bottle and sometimes it spurts out everywhere," Honda said.

"You tend to get down on yourself when the goals don't come but you just have to take a look at yourself and just try and move on and that is what I will try and do when I go back to Russia."

The goals flowed for Honda's international teammates around Europe on Sunday, with Mike Havenaar, Takashi Inui and Takashi Usami all opening their season accounts.

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Honda, Kagawa named to Japan squad for international friendly

Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni on Friday recalled CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda and also picked Borussia Dortmund's Shinji Kagawa in a 23-man squad for next week's World Cup qualifying warmup against Azerbaijan in Shizuoka.

Zaccheroni also named Inter Milan defender Yuto Nagatomo and Bolton Wanderers striker Ryo Miyaichi among 10 European-based players for next Wednesday's game, which serves as a tuneup ahead of three final-round World Cup qualifiers in June against Oman, Jordan and Australia in Asian zone Group B.

"This game will give me a good chance to look at the condition of the European-based players and new candidates that are in form in the J.League," said Zaccheroni.

Honda, the driving force as the Blue Samurai reached the second round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has not played for Japan since last August, when he scored in a 3-0 defeat of South Korea in a friendly in Sapporo.

He suffered a right-knee injury in a Russian Premier League game against Spartak Moscow later that month and spent a lengthy spell on the sidelines after undergoing surgery in Spain.

"I haven't seen him (Honda) play since August. He is still recovering so I want to have a good look at his condition in training," said Zaccheroni. "If he appears OK, then, of course, I am going to give him a game."

Ariajasuru Hasegawa was handed his first callup and was among four FC Tokyo players, including Japan Under-23 goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda. No players from Gamba Osaka, Cerezo Osaka, Nagoya Grampus or Sagan Tosu were picked as they are involved in J.League action next Friday.

"Hasegawa is doing really well in the J.League and has shown his quality in the middle of the park. I want to see in training if he deserves to play for the national team," said Zaccheroni.

The Italian tactician has also recalled Novara striker Takayuki Morimoto as cover for injured Southampton striker Tadanari Lee.

"He (Morimoto) has been playing pretty well for his club, and with Lee injured and unable to play I have given him the call," said Zaccheroni

Japan takes on Oman and Jordan at Saitama Stadium 2002 on June 3 and 8, respectively, before traveling to Brisbane to take on the Socceroos on June 12. Zaccheroni's men have also been drawn against Iraq in the final round.

The squad:

Goalkeepers — Eiji Kawashima (Lierse), Shusaku Nishikawa (Sanfrecce Hiroshima), Shuichi Gonda (FC Tokyo)

Defenders — Yuichi Komano (Jubilo Iwata), Yuzo Kurihara (Yokohama F Marinos), Yuhei Tokunaga (FC Tokyo), Masahiko Inoha (Vissel Kobe), Yuto Nagatomo (Inter Milan), Tomoaki Makino (Urawa Reds), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke), Hiroki Sakai (Kashiwa Reysol)

Midfielders — Kengo Nakamura (Kawasaki Frontale), Makoto Hasebe (Wolfsburg), Hajime Hosogai (Augsburg), Keisuke Honda (CSKA Moscow), Hideto Takahashi (FC Tokyo), Ariajasuru Hasegawa (FC Tokyo)

Forwards — Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo Iwata), Shinji Okazaki (Stuttgart), Takayuki Morimoto (Novara), Shinji Kagawa (Borussia Dortmund), Genki Haraguchi (Urawa Reds), Ryo Miyaichi (Bolton Wanderers)

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Report: Honda in talks with Lazio

London — CSKA Moscow is still in discussions with Italian club Lazio over the transfer of playmaker Keisuke Honda, British media reported Tuesday.

The Sporting Life website quoted the Russian Premier League club's president, Yevgeny Giner, as telling Radio Mayak, "I can confirm that some Lazio officials came to Moscow to discuss a deal for Honda."

"The negotiations are still ongoing as we have not reached an agreement. Currently our valuations are around €2-€3 million apart. I would not say the transfer will definitely happen, but let's see what will happen in the coming days," Giner said.

Last week, Russian newspaper Sport-Express said the talks had broken down, while Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport said the negotiations had gone well.

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