Japan to test defensive shield in Kirin Cup

TOKYO, May 16 (AFP)

Japan plans to use a friendly international against Paraguay here Sunday to test a new defensive system before their debut World Cup Finals match against double world champions Argentina. "We have tried our new strategy in training only three times. We want to perfect it through two matches in the Kirin Cup,"  Japanese captain Masami Ihara said. In the Kirin Cup, Japan will also clash with the Czech Republic, who failed to qualify for the World Cup finals, on May 24 before setting out for Nyon, Switzerland, and the French resort of Aix-Les-Bains for final camp training. Japans coach Takeshi Okada is eyeing a defensive 3-5-2 system against Argentina on June 14 and will seek to score on the break as Japan did against Brazil in the preliminary round of the under-23 Olympic tournament in 1996. He aims to take his squad of J-League stars through to the second round of the World Cup with a win, a draw and one defeat from the group games with Argentina and two other newcomers Croatia and Jamaica. Okada, who has never managed a club, plans to employ a tight defensive shield in front of goal with three defenders reinforced by two wide men and two defensive midfielders. However, his emphasis on defense has backfired in the past two months as Japan lost 2-0 to China in the Far East Dynasty Cup at home and 2-1 away to South Korea in a friendly marking the co-hosting of the 2002 World Cup finals by the two Asian neighbors. Japans star playmaker Hidetoshi, still recovering from a skin disease on his face, will miss the warm-up match. Paraguays coach Paulo Cesar Carpegiani said he wanted to foster the spirit in his team, made up of players based at home and in Brazil, Spain and Argentina. "Our aim in this tournament is to bring our World Cup players face-to-face and nuture a sense of togetherness among them,"   said Caregegiani, a Brazilian who has become a hero in Paraguay for shepherding the team to France 98. "We dont have any data at all, including videos, but we want to win this tournament,"  he said. The Japan-Paraguay match is due to kick off at Tokyos National Stadium at 2:00 p.m. (0500 GMT). Probable starting line-ups Japan Goalkeeper: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Yokohama Marinos) Defenders: Masami Ihara (Yokohama Marinos), Norio Omura (Yokohama Marinos), Yutaka Akita (Kashima Antlers) Midfielders: Naoki Soma (Kashima Antlers) Akira Narahashi (Kashima Antlers), Motohiro Yamaguchi (Yokohama Flugels), Hiroshi Nanami (Jubilo Iwata), Hiroaki Morishima (Cerezo Osaka) Forwards: Masashi Nakayama (Jubilo Iwata), Shoji Jo (Yokohama Marinos) Paraguay Goalkeeper: Jose Luis Chilavert (Velez Sarsfield, Arg) Defenders: Carlos Alberto Gamarra (Corinthians, Bra), Catalino Rivarola (Gremio, Bra), Celso Rafael Ayala (River Plate, Arg) Midfielders: Denis Ramon Caniza (Olimpia, Par), Edgar Miliciades Aguilera (Cerro Cora, Par), Miguel Angel Benitez (Espanyol, Spa), Carlos Leonardo Morales (Gimnasia de Jujuy, Arg), Robert Miguel Acuna (Real Zaragoza, Spa) Forwards: Aristides Fabian Rojas (Union Santa Fe, Arg), Julio Cesar Yegros (Cruz Azul, Mex)