Japan, Greece in a tough fight for survival

JAPAN and Greece face a high-stakes World Cup shoot-out today after opening match defeats which have left their participation in the tournament hanging by a thread.

With Japan outmuscled by Ivory Coast 2-1 and Greece thumped 3-0 by Colombia on Saturday, defeat for either side in their Group C collision in Natal could well be terminal.

Whether Japan or Greece are heading for the exit tonight will depend on the outcome of Colombia's showdown with the Ivory Coast earlier in the day. But what is not in doubt, is that neither Japan nor Greece has much margin for error in the Estadio das Dunas.

Japan's English-based defender Maya Yoshida believes it will be crucial for the Blue Samurai to score first against the Greeks. "Of course we lost the first match so at the moment we're very disappointed but we still have two games to go."

He was adamant the Asian giants had not given up hope of progressing to the knockout rounds for only the third time in their history.

"Greece have good defenders and tactics," Yoshida said. "They have a good orientation defensively so if we get the first goal, they have to come forward so we will have a chance to take more initiative."

But Greece's national team manager Fernando Santos meanwhile believes he has pinpointed Japanese vulnerabilities after scrutinising their performance against the Ivorians. "We watched them play," Santos said. "We selected interesting information and we will inform our players.

"We have already watched Japan in the past and we know their advantages and disadvantages.

"We will be ready." – AFP