The point of the tournament is to have the champion of each continent. Thats what it is, regardless of whether it is seen to devalue it. It's not like they've been given free pass to the World Cup.
A Japanese friend of mine told me he's pretty much "Mr Japanese football" and that they had done whatever it took to keep him in the league.
The Japanese Donovan then
Not enough love for Endo last night. Thought he was Japan's best player. Doesn't he have some medical condition which has stopped him making a move to Europe?