JAPAN v BRAZIL - MATCH PREVIEW
Andy Morgan

Group F Permutations

Brazil have already qualified and will finish top of the group if they win or draw against Japan. If Brazil lose and Australia win then the Antipodeans will finish top if a three goal goal-difference is made up. If Croatia beat Austraila they will leap-frog them into second place. If Croatia and Australia draw and Japan win then Japan will finish second if a two goal goal-difference is made up. If Croatia and Australia draw but Japan fail too win then Australia will qualify as runners-up.

Three goals in two matches is in stark contrast to the thirteen the Brazilians scored in their opening three games of World Cup 2002 but Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is looking more to the Second Round than winning this tie. He is likely to rest many of his star players and give starts to other members of his squad. Ronaldo however is likely to figure once again in the hope that in a match without pressure he can shine like he has always promised to do but never really achieved on the World Stage.

The rest of the Brazil team is largely guesswork although rumours abound that Juninho Pernambucano and Robinho will be given a run out. Juninho Pernambucano's Lyon midfielder has considerable experience in midfield and will provide a strong nullification force against Japan in that area. With three goals to his name in thirty-seven appearances before this World Cup he is not the archetypal Brazilian attacking player but he may bolster a defence which has been under the cosh for considerable spells during their opening two World Cup matches.

Real Madrid's Robinho will be relishing his chance to show his coach what he can achieve, despite only having five goals in over twenty appearances to his name. You feel that now is sink or swim for the twenty-two year old striker as if he performs well here and Ronaldo continues to suffer then he could steal the starting place from his Real Madrid team-mate. The two do have forged an understanding due to their playing together in Spain and you feel the time is certainly now for Robinho to step up to the next level.

If Brazil's striking record this World Cup has been disappointing then Japan's has been woeful. With only one goal to show for their attacking endeavour over two games, coach Zico is looking to ring the changes against Brazil in Dortmund. That goal was scored by a midfielder - Celtic's Shunsuke Nakamura so expect at least one and if not both of their regular strikers, Naohiro Takahara and Atsushi Yanagisawa, to be dropped from this game. It is a shame as both strikers have been prolific for their country, scoring fifteen and seventeen goals respectively in just under one hundred combined appearances and argubaly deserve another chance. This is because their lack of goals is largely due to Japan's lack of attacking intent rather than anything that they themselves have done.

Keiji Tamada and Seiichiro Maki may therefore start, with the latter particularly being as prolific as the possible strikers he is replacing. He has three goals in nine before this World Cup. Tamada's attacking record is less than impressive, with only seven in thirty-seven. But against a Brazil defence that looks weak, it is possible that they could get off the mark but you cannot help but feel that it may have been better to start with Takahara and Yanagisawa to bolster the confidence of those two. They need to score at least two to qualify and you feel that this will be beyond them, even against Brazil's traditionally malleable defence.

Zico is favouring a positive approach against Brazil and will use his experience as a technical coach to the 1998 Brazil team to his advantage. He will also be boosted by the fact that the last two games between the two countries both ended in draws, 2-2 and 0-0 in recent years. Playing without the heat may also be to their advantage as they have had the disadvantage of having to play both of their other games in the blistering 3pm heat.

Despite this optimistic approach however you feel that goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi will have to have as inspired a game as he had against Croatia in the last match if the Japanese are to win here. But with the incentive of a possible Second Round berth, as well as the kudos of a shock result then anything is possible.

SELECTION OF ODDS FOR JAPAN v BRAZIL. MANY MORE ON THE MATCH COUPON

Japan 11/1
Draw 5/1
Brazil 2/9

Japan 1-0 14/1
Japan 2-0 66/1
Japan 2-1 40/1
Draw 0-0 9/1
Draw 1-1 9/1
Draw 2-2 33/1
Draw 3-3 66/1
Brazil 1-0 6/1
Brazil 2-0 5/1
Brazil 2-1 7/1
Brazil 3-0 13/2

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By Bettingzone.co.uk
Used with permission.