Preview
Japan v CroatiaFitness fears gripped Japan and Croatia as they geared up for a must-win match here today to keep alive their World Cup targets of -- at the very least -- surviving the first round.
Japan coach Zico has switched the Asian champions from a solid 3-5-2 system to more offensive 4-4-2 with two sidebacks joining central midfield in attack, following the crushing 3-1 defeat to Australia in their opener.
PHOTO: AFP
"It is the best formation for a must-win match," said Zico, a star of three Brazilian World Cup campaigns. "We must score goals against Croatia and concede none. That's all."
But his playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura, a former Reggina midfielder who has just renewed his contract with Scotland champions Celtic, is nursing his right thigh which was bruised twice in Monday's match against the more physical Socceroos.
Nakamura, whose speculative cross found the net in a freak goal against Australia, played without showing signs of injury in an internal practice match on Friday after spending two days off team training.
Croatia coach Zlato Kranjcar, for whom a first-round exit would be a "total failure," reclaimed his bragging rights after the 1998 World Cup semi-finalists showed resilience in losing 1-0 to five-time world champions Brazil on Tuesday.
"We've shown that we're more than capable of going further in the tournament," he said.
But Croatia captain and hard-working midfielder Niko Kovac was bruised in the right rib in a clash with Adriano in the Brazil game. The Balkan side resumed full training on Thursday but Kovac ran for only 15 minutes before pulling out.
Kranjcar said that if Kovac cannot play against Japan he will be replaced by his understudy Jerko Leko, a tactical player with the Bulgarian club Brugge.
"I've got every confidence in him," the coach said.
Kovac insisted: "We have a realistic chance of winning against Japan and Australia," and "If you don't take the chances you get and you let the opposition take their one chance, you lose."
Japan proved to be goal shy as they failed to hold on to an early lead both in a recent 2-2 warm-up draw against hosts Germany and in the Australian game. They bungled several scoring chances while running themselves into the ground to hold tight in defense.
Nakamura was inspired by Kaka's winning goal struck from outside the box against Croatia and said Japan must do likewise.
The left-footed 27-year-old scored a goal and made another in a 2-2 draw against Brazil in the Confederations Cup first round in Germany last year.
Japan's most famous midfielder, Hidetoshi Nakata of Bolton, said Zico's formation change would get the job done.
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