Soccer: Race to make Japan World Cup squad enters final stretch

Shock omissions are on the cards when Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu announces his 26-man squad for the World Cup in Qatar on Nov. 1, with some established names in Europe likely to miss out. The most notable absentee from Japan’s two September friendlies was Reo Hatate. The Celtic midfielder was called up for the games against the United States and Ecuador but never left the bench despite his promising performances this season in the Scottish Premiership and Champions League. Gaku Shibasaki, who pulled the strings for Japan at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has struggled to make an impact under...