Tom ‘The Power’ Powell offers his expert betting opinion on Barcelona’s game with Shakhtar Donetsk tonight…

Japan is to reconsider its decision to withdraw from the Copa America following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami which disrupted the domestic football calendar.

The Argentina Football Association, which hosts the South American championship July, has asked Japan to rethink its decision to pull-out of the event, Japan Football Association (JFA) vice president Kozo Tashima said.

“The Japanese association for its part has not reached a final conclusion,” he said, according to the Jiji Press news agency.

“We will reconsider whether we can send a national team by using our wisdom more than ever.”

JFA president Junji Ogura told South American Football Confederation president Nicolas Leoz on Monday that the Asian champions cannot take part in the tournament, where they were invited as guests along with Mexico.

The nation’s J-League has suspended its season for five rounds until April 23 to save the electricity used during night matches, planning instead to play the postponed matches in July.

The month has been originally set as a summer break to free up players for the Copa America, prompting Japan’s withdrawal.

But Argentina Football Association president Julio Grondona met with Ogura on Tuesday and urged Japan to rethink their decision.

“They wanted to position the South American championship as an event to support Japan’s reconstruction,” Tashima said.

“It won’t be easy to reach a conclusion. We could either withdraw or go”.

Tom ‘The Power’ Powell offers his expert betting opinion on Barcelona’s game with Shakhtar Donetsk tonight…

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