MONTERREY, Mexico - The Japan squad arrived to a warm welcome in Monterrey in Mexico for their pre-World Cup training camp on Tuesday ahead of their eighth straight appearance at the tournament.
The Samurai Blue players were presented with Mexican hats and greeted with a chorus of "Japon!" from locals as they arrived at their accommodation in the city. They will train there until Sunday to acclimatize to the heat and return ahead of their second Group F game against Tunisia in Monterrey on June 20.
Hajime Moriyasu's 26-man squad will move to their base camp in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday before beginning their World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on June 14 at Dallas Stadium in Texas. They return to the venue for their third game against Sweden on June 25.
The tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, co-hosted by three nations for the first time, has been expanded by 16 teams from its previous editions to 48.
The opening game on June 11 between Mexico and South Africa at Mexico City Stadium kicks off the world's biggest sporting event, this time featuring 104 matches. The final at New York New Jersey Stadium is set for July 19.
