The swine flu pandemic prompted the Japanese soccer team to arrive in Melbourne on Saturday wearing face masks to complement their suits and ties.
A few hours after touching down, Captain Yuji Nakazawa failed to take part in a twilight training session because of illness.
But a spokesman said it was only a cold and he would be ready for Wednesday night’s World Cup qualifier against Australia at the MCG.
Both teams are already through to next year’s tournament in South Africa but the Japanese are determined to challenge Australia’s top spot in Asian Group A.
Japan coach Takeshi Okada vowed to spoil Australia’s clean sheet in the qualifiers as he takes an under-strength squad against the Socceroos.
“I feel vexed that they are ahead on 17 points and have never conceded a single goal,” Okada said in Tokyo late on Friday before the flight south.
Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer has not let in a single goal in Australia’s seven qualifiers, in which they scored ten.
By finishing first and second in the group, Australia and Japan last week claimed the group’s two places for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.
“I hear Australia will field their best side and it will be a tough battle. But we will conquer them,” Okada said.
Australia beat Bahrain 2-0 at home last Wednesday to lead the group with 17 points from five wins and two draws. Japan trail by two points after winning four matches and drawing three, including one against Australia in Yokohama in February.
Okada’s goal of a semifinal spot in South Africa was thrown into question on Wednesday when the Blue Samurai were held to a 1-1 draw by Qatar at home.
Qatar’s French coach Bruno Metsu said the target would be “very difficult” for Japan to achieve as they tended to “lose their direction when they are under pressure” and needed to boost their physical strength.
“We want to give all we have against Australia,” said Okada, who is serving his second stint as national coach since taking over from ailing Bosnian tactician Ivica Osim in late 2007.
“We want to wrap up the long qualifying round in style,” Okada said.
Okada led Japan in their winless World Cup finals debut in France 1998. Japan reached the last-16 round in 2002 under French coach Philippe Troussier for their best result in their previous three World Cup campaigns.
Australia coach Pim Veerbeek plans to have a “very strong team” against Japan, including Everton midfielder Tim Cahill, Karlsruhe striker Josh Kennedy and Blackburn midfielder Vince Grella.
Okada’s Japan will be without key midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, who is nursing a groin injury after what could be his last season with Celtic.
Also absent are Gamba Osaka midfielder Yasuhito Endo and three other European-based players — Makoto Hasebe and Yoshito Okubo of VfL Wolfsburg and Venlo’s Keisuke Honda.
The Socceroos scored three times in the final nine minutes to beat Japan 3-1 in the group stage of the 2006 World Cup in Germany. But the Blue Samurai knocked them out in the quarter-finals of the 2007 Asian Cup on penalties.
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