Japan arrives without defender

The Asian Cup will be part of a rapid getting-to-know-you phase for the bulk of teams and their coaches in Australia, adding an extra layer of difficulty ― and intrigue ― to the continental championship.

There are plenty of new players for the quadrennial tournament starting Friday, and more new faces in the coaching ranks ― only six of the 16 teams had the same coach at the end of 2014 that they started the year with.

Defending champion Japan arrived over the weekend missing one of its stars ― and with a new coach.

Defender Atsuto Uchida, who has not fully recovered from a tendon injury in his right knee, will remain with his German Bundesliga club Schalke 04 for treatment, coach Javier Aguirre said. Uchida, who has 71 caps, was a member of the team that beat Australia in the 2011 Asian Cup final.

Aguirre was hired in August to replace Alberto Zaccheroni after Japan’s poor World Cup campaign in Brazil last summer.

The Japanese begin their title defense against the Palestinian team in Newcastle on Jan. 12, three days after the tournament opener between Australia and Kuwait in Melbourne.

Performances in last month’s Gulf Cup also resulted in Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain all firing their coaches.

Bahrain’s coach had the shortest tenure of them all. Adnan Hamad, one of Asia’s most experienced coaches, was appointed in August only to be fired three months later after his team failed to advance to the knockout stages of the Gulf Cup.

Kuwait started the Gulf Cup in promising fashion but fired Brazilian coach Jorvan Vieira following a loss to Oman. Vieira, who led Iraq to the 2007 Asian Cup title, was replaced by former Tunisia midfielder Nabil Maaloul.

Saudi Arabia has changed coaches more than 20 times since reaching the second round of the 1994 World Cup. (AP)