Kubo, Kato in Japan squad for WC qualifier

Portugal drop Eder for Confederations Cup

TOKYO, May 25, (Agencies): Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic named prolific Gent striker Yuya Kubo and promising Bulgaria-based midfielder Kohei Kato in his 25-member squad for next month’s friendly against Syria and World Cup qualifier against Syria in Tokyo and the away match in neutral Tehran six days later.

More surprising was the selection of Beroe Stara Zagora’s 27-year-old midfielder Kato.

“Some of you may not know much about him but I have been tracking him for one year,” Halilhodzic was quoted as saying by the Kyodo news agency.

Masaaki Nakamura

Eiji Kawashima, Higashiguchi, Kosuke

Yuto Nagatomo, Tomoaki Makino, Tomoya Ugajin, Maya Yoshida, Hiroki Sakai, Gotoku Sakai, Gen Shoji, Genta Miura

Midfielders: Yasuyuki Konno, Shu Kurata, Shinji Kagawa, Kohei Kato, Hotaru Yamaguchi, Wataru Endo, Yosuke Ideguchi

Forwards: Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda, Takashi Inui, Yuya Osako, Genki Haraguchi, Yuya Kubo, Takuma Asano

Cristiano Ronaldo will lead Portugal at the Confederations Cup in Russia but there is no place for European Championships hero Eder.

Coach Fernando Santos kept faith largely with the squad that stunned hosts France last summer to win the Euros thanks to an extra-time strike from Eder.

Portugal play Mexico, hosts Russia and New Zealand in Group A at the Confederations Cup, which begins on June 17.

Before that the same squad will play a World Cup qualifier at Latvia on June 9.

Goalkeepers: Rui Patricio (Sporting), Beto (Sporting), Jose Sa (Porto)

Defenders) : Nelson Semedo (Benfica), Cedric Soares (Southampton/ENG), Pepe (Real Madrid/ESP), Bruno Alves (Cagliari/ ITA), Luis Neto (Zenith/RUS), Jose Fonte (Southampton/ENG), Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund/ GER), Eliseu (Benfica)

William Carvalho (Sporting), Danilo Pereira (Porto), Joao Moutinho (Monaco/FRA), Pizzi (Benfica), Joao Mario (Inter Milan/ ITA), Andre Gomes (Barcelona/ESP), Adrien Silva (Sporting), Bernardo Silva (Monaco/FRA)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid/ESP), Ricardo Quaresma (Besiktas/TUR), Gelson Martins (Sporting), Andre Silva (Porto), Nani (Valencia/ESP) United manager Jose Mourinho poses with the trophy after winning the soccer Europa League final between Ajax Amsterdam and Manchester United at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on

May 24. United won 2-0. (AP)