Position: Defender
Born: 25.07.81
Club: Sanfrecce Hiroshima

A surprise inclusion in Zico's final squad, Yuichi Komano did not feature at all in qualifying but has quietly emerged as a hard-working and conscientious defender.

Winning his first cap in a 2-2 draw with China in March 2005, Komano is employed predominantly as an overlapping right wing-back in the Japan system and has impressed with his willingness to get forward and deliver useful crosses.

He is a competitive tackler and is also the regular penalty taker for club side Hiroshima.

Komano earned his late call-up after being one of the few home-based players to impress in the Kirin Cup mini-tournament prior to the announcement of the World Cup squad.