Japan host Ecuador later today in an international friendly World Cup warm-up match, with both teams looking for the final touches on their squads before the tournament in June.

The match, at the Kyuseki Dome, will see Zico’s Japan take on fellow World Cup finalist’s Ecuador.

After a great qualifying campaign, Luis Suarez's Ecuador have had a slump in form, losing to Uganda in December, a slender 1-0 over Honduras, and a 1-0 loss to the Netherlands on March 1.

For Japan, it's an entirely different situation as they've been producing some good results, drawing to Bosnia, beating Finland and crushing India. Even the 3-2 loss to the United States showed a solid team attempt.

But, even though likely to feature in tonight’s match, Urawa Reds midfielder Shinji Ono is still currently unsure of his place in the Japan first-team in the national squad.

Ono is considered one of the most naturally talented players Japan has ever produced, and is just one of two current players who have appeared in the last two World Cup Finals (the other being Hidetoshi Nakata).

Japan national coach Zico, has only had praise for the former Feyenoord star since he has been in charge. When Ono was called up to join the national squad, he was a certainty in the starting line-up.

But since being put on the substitutes bench for the start of Japan's most recent match last month, a 2-2 draw with Bosnia in Dortmund, one of the venues in the World Cup Finals, the 26-year-old Ono claims he has felt the pressure to perform.

Zico started the match against Bosnia with Kashima Antlers' Mitsuo Ogasawara and Jubilo Iwata's Takashi Fukunishi ahead of Ono, who did come on as a second-half substitute against the Bosnian’s.

On Wednesday, during a pre-match news conference for tonight's friendly against Ecuador, retired Japan superstar Masakiyo Maezono, now a television pundit, asked Ono about his status in the first-team, and the midfielder admitted to feeling pressed.

“I wanted to start that game, and I was expecting to,” said Ono. “But I was on the bench at the start. I do feel my chances are under threat. If I don't pick it up, the World Cup will become something distant.”

Only an injury will prevent Zico from naming Ono as one of the 23 players for this summer's finals. However, whether Ono is a certainty for the first team appears to have become another matter, due to an extended absence from the national side, after suffering a broken foot.

When the Europe-based stars rejoin the squad, it will be interesting to see who Zico plays in midfield along with Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura.

Zico could just be waiting for Ono to return to top-form. The Brazilian legend mentioned on Wednesday that Ono is trying to shake off a sprained left ankle he picked up in recent J.League action for the first-place Reds.

“He hurt his ankle in a J.League game a while ago, and it has been dragging,” said Zico. “There's just no sense in pushing it at this point in time.”

The Ecuadorians, who will be playing in their second consecutive World Cup, are badly under-strength, with a bulk of their best players missing for what will be Japan's fifth game of the year. Zico, nevertheless, thinks the opposition will prove to be a solid test for the Asian champions.

“You can't judge too much by friendlies because teams usually have an agenda they are pursuing. Just because they've lost four games recently, it's difficult to tell how good they really are,” he said.

“They've made a lot of progress over the last few years, and qualified from a tough zone. They may not have their best team here, but I expect them to play good football.”

Ecuador coach Luis Suarez is hoping that he can field a squad at the World Cup Finals that, at least, didn’t only travel to Germany to ‘make up the numbers’ and is out to impress in the friendly.

“We hope to put on a good display tomorrow, show what we are capable of,” he said. “If we can do that in a home game for Japan, it will make our day.”