***Japan v Australia match thread***

[Benitez]

2pm - Kaiserslautern

 

Head-to-heads

 

Australia have met Japan on 14 previous occasions.

 

Their record is well-balanced with five wins each and four draws. Japan have won their last three encounters without conceding a single goal.

 

Team facts - Australia

 

This is the second World Cup participation for Australia. They made their debut in 1974 in Germany and finished fourth in Group One, losing two and drawing one match (0-2 against East Germany, 0-3 against West Germany and 0-0 with Chile). Australia are therefore yet to score a World Cup goal.

 

This is the third tournament at which Australia coach Guus Hiddink will be in charge of a team. Previously, he guided both Holland (in 1998) and South Korea (in 2002) to fourth place. Hiddink is only the fourth coach to lead more than two different countries at the World Cup. Record holder Bora Milutinovic masterminded the World Cup campaigns of five different countries.

 

Team facts - Japan

This marks the third World Cup participation for Japan. In 1998, Japan finished bottom in Group H. In 2002, when they hosted the World Cup together with South Korea, they were knocked out in the second round by Turkey.

 

Japan are yet to win their opening match of the tournament. In 1998 they were beaten (1-0) by Argentina. Four years later they were held to a 2-2 draw by Belgium.

 

Player facts - Australia

 

Midfielder Stan Lazaridis, defender Tony Popovic and goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac are the most capped players in the Australian squad with 59, 56 and 52 caps respectively. John Aloisi is the most prolific scorer in the squad with 23 international goals.

 

Tim Cahill was Australia's top scorer in World Cup qualification with seven goals.

 

Player facts - Japan

 

Goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata and Alex are the most capped players in Japan's squad with 89, 74 and 72 caps respectively. Nakata is the only player to have featured in each of Japan's previous seven matches at the World Cup.

 

Naohiro Takahara and Atsushi Yanagisawa are the most prolific goalscorers for Japan with 17 international goals. Nakata (one) and Junichi Inamoto (two) are the two players from the current squad to have scored in the World Cup finals.

 

Miscellaneous Info

 

This match could see FC Basel teammates Koji Nakata (Japan) and Scott Chipperfield and Mile Sterjovksi (Australia) at opposite ends of the pitch.

 

Australia reserve goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac, together with Jan Koller and Nikola Zigic are the tallest players at the 2006 World Cup with a height of six foot seven and a half inches.

 

From the Beeb

[Figaro]

australia to win and finish the match with 9 on the field

[Bailo]

Harry starts, Cahill on the bench, which screws up my FF already!

[Benitez]

Australia:

Schwarzer,

Neill,

Moore,

Culina,

Wilkshire,

Emerton,

Grella,

Bresciano,

Chipperfield,

Kewell,

Viduka.

 

Japan:

Kawaguchi,

Komano,

Miyamoto,

Santos,

Tsuboi,

Nakazawa,

Fukunishi,

Hidetoshi

Nakata,

Nakamura,

Takahara,

Yanagisawa.

[Benitez]

australia to win and finish the match with 9 on the field

 

 

and Lucas Neill to be the first of those sendings off

[Romario]

Anyone got live radio streaming for us work folks!

BBC Five live cut off just before kickoff!!

[Figaro]

and Lucas Neill to be the first of those sendings off

 

good call - good bet that

[Romario]

Anyone got live radio streaming for us work folks!

BBC Five live cut off just before kickoff!!

No worries finally got the bbc sports player to work on a linux...

[pricey]

Are any websites streaming this game?

 

I know the beeb are streaming the games they're covering but this one is on ITV.

[McBain]

If Australia get to the final I bet Harry will be worried sh*tless

[Montse]

Good open game so far, Aussies getting some hefty tackles in and just went close after a good save from the japanese goalie

[Stevie H]

bbc radio streaming is awful. anyone got anywhere better?

[BDB]

indeed its nice and open, viduka getting in some good positions early.

 

I'm surprised that what 8 games in there has yet to be a pen.

[Guest jcreds]

Is Kewell playing?

[Guest Scot]

Any streams for those of us with no clue about linux etc?

[Gunga Din]

that Luke Wiltsure fella looks s****. i'll be surprised if he sees 90 minutes, the dirty fecker

 

Is Kewell playing?

 

yes

[stressederic]

that Luke Wiltsure fella looks s****. i'll be surprised if he sees 90 minutes, the dirty fecker

 

Definitely a red card waiting to happen.

[Mike]

tell you what, viduka has been f***ing outstanding

 

bbc radio streaming is awful. anyone got anywhere better?

 

my place big boy

[stressederic]

What a howler from Schwarzer.

 

1-0 Japan

Edited June 12, 2006 by stressederic

[BDB]

Wow..

 

1-0 Japan, bizarre goal. floated in from outside the box, schwarzer got bumped, and the goal stood.

[stressederic]

Kewell nearly equalises immediately

[Des]

Get in.

[BDB]

And a good effort by kewell, that was s*** refereeing.

Schwarzer was impeded.

[_00_deathscar]

Japan scores.

 

Australia hit back through Kewell but just over the bar.

[Guest Scot]

Be made up if the Japanese win this