Friday¡¯s international friendly between Japan¡¯s Samurai Blue and the United States men¡¯s team (USMNT) will be more than a key test ahead of the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar: It will be a meeting between two teams who have developed in graceful parallel, last intersecting at a February 2006 friendly in San Francisco.
Both countries¡¯ domestic leagues are less than 30 years old ¡ª the J. League launched in 1993 and Major League Soccer followed soon after in 1996 ¡ª and have firmly established themselves in their respective sporting landscapes, overcoming apathy and sometimes even outright hostility.
Both are perennial World Cup underdogs with hordes of fans ¡ª Ultra Nippon and the American Outlaws ¡ª as well as media following their every move.
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