Japan v Croatia - Preview

New-look Japan raring to attack Croatia

Japan coach Zico has added two attack-minded players to his line-up in a bid to get the goals he needs to keep the Asian champions's World Cup hopes alive in their second game against Croatia here on Sunday.

Mitsuo Ogasawara adds a shooting and passing flair to midfield and Zico's first-choice right winger Akira Kaji, who missed Japan's 3-1 defeat by Australia in their opener, is back from injury to sharpen up the wing play.

"I have always worked on my long-range shooting and I must try that out in this game," said Ogasawara, who sat on the bench in the Australia game, as he prepared to start in a World Cup match for the first time.

"It is frustrating to watch a match from the sidelines. I'm glad that I can play," said the J-League Kashima Antlers captain.

Against the more physical Croatia, who lost their opener 1-0 to five-time champions Brazil, Zico plans to employ a four-man last line which can free up two side backs to join four midfielders in pressing forward.

In the Australia game, his cautious three-back defence, joined by two wingers, had kept the Asian champions deep in the field inviting the three-goal onslaught that submerged them in the last nine minutes of the match.

Ogasawara had no place in the 3-5-2 system which featured three midfielders -- including Celtic playmaker Shunsuke Nakamura and Bolton's Hidetoshi Nakata -- and two flankers who are usually positioned as full backs in 4-4-2.

"It's going to be my personal World Cup opener," said Kaji.

"My ankle feels fine now," he said. "My plan is to run hard down the wings and help open up spaces in the centre, allowing our midfielders to shoot at goal."

Kaji, who steers Japan's wing attacks with Brazilian-born left-winger Alessandro "Alex" Santos, scored his only goal in 42 international matches when Japan beat Iran 2-1 at home in their final Asian qualifier last August.

"Kaji is raring to go and Ogasawara looks ready to have a pot at goal. I believe everybody else will be keen to hit the target," Japan Football Association president Saburo Kawabuchi said.

Japan and Croatia, both playing in their third World Cup finals since their debut in 1998, need to win on Sunday to keep themselves in contention for a spot in the second round -- their basic goal at Germany 2006.

Croatia finished third in France 1998 and coach Zlato Kranjcar said they would "demonstrate attacking football," a promise taken by Zico as a bluff by the often defensive Balkan side.

"If we play at the same level as we did against Brazil, we can beat Japan with no problem," Kranjcar told the Japanese network NHK. "My players shall definitely score goals this time."

Teams

Japan

Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto (capt), Hidetoshi Nakata, Mitsuo Ogasawara, Naohiro Takahara, Shunsuke Nakamura, Atsushi Yanagisawa, Alessandro Santos, Takashi Fukunishi, Akira Kaji, Yuji Nakazawa: Coach: Zico

Croatia

Stipe Pletikosa, Darijo Srna, Josip Simunic, Robert Kovac, Igor Tudor, Dario Simic, Marko Babic, Nico Kranjcar, Dado Prso, Niko Kovac (capt), Ivan Klasnic: Coach: Zlatko Kranjcar

Referee

Frank De Bleeckere (BEL)