Japan coach Halilhodzic demands samurai steel

"Japan coach Vahid Halilhodzic promised on Thursday to turn the Blue Samurai into a team who feared no one..."

Good! But so long as they're feared BY no one it's a bit of a problem.

"Players such as talisman Keisuke Honda and, in particular, playmaker Shinji Kagawa, whose confidence was in tatters after the Asian Cup,..."

Their confidence was in tatters because they were told by the media and some supporters in Japan that the world revolved around them and they were the greatest thing ever, and in the case of Honda in particular, he believed it despite only being able to kick balls to fans in the audience. If he's getting his 'form' back, excellent! So long as he's checked his arrogance and sense of self-entitlement at the door.

Anyway, bring on the Samurai steel for sure, and with the luck that Japan drew in the qualifying group, they should easily win all of their games even without that much of said steel.