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Soccer-Japan to unleash Usami as World Cup campaign begins

June 1 (Reuters) - Bundesliga-bound Yoshinori Muto has been included in Japan's squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifier against Singapore, but it is the form of Gamba Osaka striker Takashi Usami that manager Vahid Halilhodzic is keen to exploit.

Japan host Iraq in a Yokohama friendly on June 11 before kicking off their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Singapore at Saitama Stadium five days later.

The Japanese have shown improvement under the 62-year-old Franco-Bosnian, who took over in March after Javier Aguirre was sacked amid fears the Mexican's involvement in a match-fixing case in Spain could hinder their World Cup hopes.