Hot after a draw, cool after a win
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by FIFAworldcup.com
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Russia are in a comfortable position heading into their match with Japan on Sunday. Having comfortably disposed of Tunisia, they know that if they win they are through to the Round of 16. For Japan a draw would not be disastrous, but if they lose their chances of advancing will be seriously dented.
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Japan will be hoping to build on the momentum they acquired in the second half of their opener against Belgium, which they drew 2-2. Japan coach Philippe Troussier surprised many in the first half as his boys looked to break with long balls out from the back, a tactic he said occurred to him while watching Belgium’s friendly against France on 18 May. Japan found few openings as many of their passes went astray, but when they turned on the pressure after falling behind in the second half and reverted to their usual high-pace, high-pressure passing game, Belgium had a hard time keeping up.
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In the final analysis Belgium, with their physical game, height advantage, and tactic of keeping seven men behind the ball and three right in the face of Japan’s defence, were a very difficult challenge for the co-hosts, and a draw, even on home soil, must be considered a good result for the Asians.
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The Russian game is more suited to Japan’s, and the boys in blue can be expected to take the game to the experienced Eastern Europeans right from the whistle. Considering that the Russians are likely to have seven or eight players in their starting lineup that will be older than the oldest starting Japanese, Nakata and co., who will probably have defensive lynchpin Ryuzo Morioka back, will be looking to press the home advantage from the start and take the castle by storm.
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Russia missed influential midfielders Alexei Smertin and Alexander Mostovoi in their opening game against Tunisia, yet came away with a 2-0 win. Romantsev’s decision to allow them time to reval‎idate and be ready for the Japan game was vindicated. But the notoriously demanding Russian coach was not happy with his team’s performance, and sourly pointed out that both of Russia’s goals were due to the opponent’s defencive errors.
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The game as a whole was slow-paced, with Russia creating few chances on its own and looking most dangerous on a number of powerful mid-range drives. Romantsev also indicated he was unhappy with the number of chances the Tunisians were allowed. The players have complained about the climate, while the heat and humidity will only get worse from here. And comments from players and coach indicated that they were impressed with Japan’s performance, especially Hide Nakata and Junichi Inamoto. While the outside world has reacted positively to Russia’s opener, the mood in the camp itself seems cautious. For a side that has a reputation for confidence, if not outright arrogance, that is remarkable.
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