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World Cup: Size doesn't matter, Japan says

Japanese head coach Zico, right, listens to defender Alessandro Santos during a training session at the Sports Park North stadium in Bonn on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

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Japan v Australia

Japan are aiming to outfox the bigger and more physical Australians in their crucial World Cup opener today by taking advantage of the other side's tough-tackling style to get free kicks.

The Asian champions were stunned to see three Dutch players stretchered off in a 1-1 warm-up draw in Rotterdam a week ago.

"Australia are guilty of a lot of dirty fouls. They target ankles in particular. They are too terrible," Japan Football Association chief Saburo Kawabuchi told the major Japanese sports daily Hochi.

"Japan must stand up to them. The first match will be decisive in this group," he said.

But former Brazil international Junior, who spies on Blue Samurai's opponents for his old Flamengo friend and Japan coach Zico, gave winger Shunsuke Nakamura a tip: "Don't shy away from hard play. Use them to your advantage instead."

The Celtic deadball specialist particularly focused on hard-tackling Australia and Parma midfielder Vince Grella.

"Australia are guilty of a lot of dirty fouls. They target ankles in particular. They are too terrible."

Saburo Kawabuchi, Japan Football Association chief

"We have to go forward with two touches in midfield and cut in with a dribble or a one-two pass toward the goal to provoke a foul," he said.

"Then it means a goal for us," added Nakamura, who scored a goal and set up another in Japan's 2-2 draw against five-time world champions Brazil in the 2005 Confederations Cup first round.

For Zico, the Australian game is the first hurdle toward his World Cup goal -- to outdo his predecessor Philippe Troussier.

The French firebrand took Japan into the last-16 in 2002, four years after Japan made a winless debut, but Zico's goal is set higher at the semi-finals.

Zico's squad, featuring six Europe-based players and 17 J-League stars, have been erratic in recent warm-up matches, drawing 2-2 with powerhouse Germany and beating minnows Malta by a poor 1-0.

"We were right in feeling on top of the world after the German match, but we must not get carried away," the former star Brazilian midfielder said.

He brushed off as immaterial the all-embracing world rankings which put Japan at 18th spot against 44th for the Socceroos.

Australian expatriates play with UEFA runners-up Middlesbrough and last year's European Champions League winners Liverpool as well as top Italian sides, he said.

"What do you mean by saying Australia are rated below Japan?" Zico asked.

On a head-to-head basis, Japan and Australia are even at five wins, five defeats and four draws.

Bolton midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata, playing in his third World Cup, said Japan need to keep running to avoid contact play against the Australians, who are on average 6cm taller and 5kg heavier.

"Japan's skills of quickness in passing and relentless pressing is a product of nothing but running," he said.

The three-back defense used by the Asian champions is focused on Australia's 1.88m target man and captain Mark Viduka.

"Australian players lunge forward from different directions after the ball reaches the central forward. First of all, we must stop Viduka from facing the goal and then mark them all around him," right winger Yuichi Komano said.

The Hiroshima defender was expected to fill in for Akira Kaji who was the only one in the injury-hit squad still unable to resume full team training for the Australia game.
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