Japan = The BYU Cougars (Football)

Keisuke Honda, Japan's midfield "engine." (Badumching)

Ty Detmer, record setting QB for BYU in their WAC heyday.

Japan have been the best team in Asia for the last 2 decades, winning the AFC Asian Cup 4 of the last 6 times it was contested. The "Samurai Blue" have also qualified for every World Cup since the tournament expanded to 32 teams in 1998, and they've made it out of their group twice. They've yet to get past the Round of 16, however. By the same token, BYU for several decades dominated the WAC / Mountain West but struggled against the top teams from power conferences. The Japanese team at this World Cup may also bring back memories of the old "Wacky WAC," where final scores with both teams in the 40s and 50s were common long before that sort of offense was in vogue nationwide. A.C. Milan's Keisuke Honda and Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa will lead the attack from midfield, and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Shinji Okazaki is a capable goal scorer. However, the Samurai Blue will struggle to keep the ball out of their own net. In wild and crazy Group C, they have as good a chance to advance as anyone.