By David Gold
March 20 – All 12 Japanese internationals plying their trade in Europe will be available for Japan’s charity game against a J-League XI on March 29 to honour the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that hit the country earlier this month, it has been announced.
CSKA Moscow’s Keisuke Honda (pictured) is the highest profile of the players who will appear in the game in Osaka, whilst Schalke’s Atsuto Uchida, Stuttgart’s Shinji Okazaki and Augsburg’s Hajime Hosogai will all participate.
European clubs are not under any obligation to release players because the game is not an “A” category friendly, but the teams have chosen to allow their stars to appear in what will be an emotional encounter.
Meanwhile, Japan Football Association General Secretary Kozo Toshima said that a Japanese team would be participating at the Copa America later this year.
The tournament, to be held in Argentina in July, will probably clash with J League matches rearranged for that month, which had placed the Asian Cup winners’ participation in doubt.
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