|
Thursday June 19th - 4:00PM | ||
| vs | GREECE | ||
| FIFA RANKING 47 | FIFA RANKING 10 | ||
 |
 |
||
| HOW THEY QUALIFIED |
|||
| JAPAN The mammoth, two-year qualifying campaign saw Japan progress game-by-game under Alberto Zaccheroni, who took over in the wake of the team’s impressive run at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. The new-look Japan were struggling to fit into the Italian’s strategy as they began their qualifying bid in lacklustre style, losing to Uzbekistan and Korea DPR before seeing their progression into the fourth round secured. Their transition proved successful, inspired by talisman Keisuke Honda and spearheaded by the likes of Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki, the Japanese began to gel in the fourth round. Two emphatic opening victories over Oman (3-0) and Jordan (6-0) saw the Samurai Blue as the group’s runaway leaders and although they were held by Australia to a 1-1 draw, Oman and Iraq’s losses put Zaccheroni’s side on the cusp of qualification. An unexpected 2-1 loss in Jordan may have briefly delayed their celebration party, but they battled back to draw Australia 1-1, providing Japan with the requisite point to seal their fifth successive FIFA World Cup appearance. GREECE Greece enjoyed an excellent qualification campaign. Their points total of 25 from their ten games would have been enough to see them through as winners in five of the other eight groups; instead, they had to endure a play-off after losing out on goal difference to Bosnia-Herzegovina. Five of their eight victories were secured with 1-0 scorelines, and it was only against Group G’s eventual winners that the Greeks dropped points after a 0-0 draw at home and a 3-1 defeat in Zenica. In the play-offs, Fernando Santos’ men were pitted against a Romanian outfit that boasted its fair share of FIFA World Cup™ experience, but the UEFA EURO 2004 winners carried their good form into the two-legged tie and advanced comfortably. After a storming 3-1 win at home, a 1-1 draw in Bucharest was enough for Greece to seal their place in Brazil next summer. Three of their four goals came from in-form striker Konstantinos Mitroglou, whose five strikes during qualifying make him Greece’s most potent attacking option. |
|||
RECENT RESULTS |
|||
| JAPAN | GREECE | ||
| 11/06/13 - IRAQ 0-1 JAPAN 04/06/13 - JAPAN 1-1 AUSTRALIA 26/03/13 - JORDAN 2-1 JAPAN |
19/11/13 - ROMANIA 1-1 GREECE 15/11/13 - GREECE 0-0 ROMANIAA 15/10/13 - GREECE 2-0 LIECHENSTEIN |
||
| PLAYERS TO WATCH | |||
| JAPAN Having excelled during the last FIFA World Cup and the recent AFC Asian Cup, CSKA Moscow midfielder Keisuke Honda has quickly established his place as the team's new leader, filling the void left by Hidetoshi Nakata and Shunsuke Nakamura. Spearheading the attacking-line are Shinji Kagawa and Shinji Okazaki, who finished the continental finals as the team's top-scorer with three goals. Driving the central field alongside Honda is set-piece specialist Yasuhito Endo while Schalke 04 defender Atsuto Uchida is the key man at the rearguard. |
|||
| GREECE Captain and seasoned midfield general Giorgos Karagounis remains the dominant figure in the Greek line-up but forwards Dimitrios Salpingidis and Mitroglou will certainly have a part to play and provide Santos with a variety of attacking options. He can also call on the experience of the likes of Theofanis Gekas and Giorgos Samaras, which will be key when the tournament begins. Incidentally, though, despite their array of attacking talent, it was Greece’s defence that stole the show in qualifying, laying the foundation for success by conceding just four times in ten matches. |
|||
|
BACK TO MATCH CALENDAR > | ||
_sm.jpg)