Japan aim for breakthrough after high-profile wins

Japan travel to their eighth successive World Cup finals on the back of several high-profile victories and with coach Hajime Moriyasu bullish about their chances of reaching the tournament’s latter stages.

The four-times Asian champions secured friendly wins over Brazil and England during the last eight months but in four appearances in the World Cup knockout rounds they have failed to register a single win, crashing out in the last 16 each time....