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Sunday May 28, 6:40 PMSoccer: Japan midfielder Ono sitting tight as World Cup looms(Kyodo) _ Shinji Ono has not given up hope of playing in his third World Cup finals despite being relegated to the bench as Japan's crunch Group F opener against Australia looms.Ono has rediscovered his fitness and form since his return from injury but is unlikely to feature in a five-man midfield scheduled to play against Guus Hiddink's Socceroos on June 12. Takashi Fukunishi has earned the trust of coach Zico and made the holding role his own while Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura and wingers Alessandro Santos and Akira Kaji are virtual certainties to start in Kaiserslautern. But speaking ahead of Japan's warm-up match with World Cup hosts Germany, Ono said, "I am just waiting for my chance and of course I haven't given up hope of standing on the pitch at the World Cup." "It's not like I have never been a substitute before. I was a sub in Lebanon (at the 2000 Asian Cup)," said Ono, a former UEFA Cup winner with Dutch club Feyenoord. "I wasn't involved against Bahrain (because of injury in a World Cup qualifier last summer) but the players who didn't get on the pitch still played a role in our victory in that game." "Of course I want to play at the World Cup but whether I do or not is not important in the bigger picture. The whole squad is carrying the hopes of a nation on their shoulders and the main thing is that we do our best," added the 26-year-old. Ono, who played as an 18-year-old in Japan's World Cup debut in France in 1998 and helped his country reach the second round of the 2002 finals on home soil, has been plagued by a series of injuries in recent years. He suffered a stress fracture in his foot 48 hours before Japan beat Bahrain 1-0 in Manama in a World Cup qualifier in June last year and suffered a toe injury the following October. Reputed for his dazzling skills and smooth passing, Ono rejoined Urawa Reds from Feyenoord, for whom he only played four league games last season, at the start of this year and has impressed in recent matches both for club and country. "As long as I am fit I believe my chance at the World Cup will come," said Ono. |
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