Japan out to end Asia's South American jinx
Reuters - Monday 28 June 2010, 02:00
PRETORIA - Japan may never have a better
opportunity to bring Asia's woeful World Cup record against
South American opposition to an end than when they face Paraguay
in the second round in Pretoria on Tuesday.
No Asian team have ever beaten a South American side at the
World Cup. Of the 10 encounters between the continents, South
America have won eight times with two games drawn - North Korea
v Chile 1-1 in 1966 and South Korea v Bolivia 0-0 in 1994.
However, Japan's flying form in the group stage this time
around makes them strong candidates to break that jinx and
qualify for the quarter-finals for the first time.
While Paraguay topped a group that included world champions
Italy, Slovakia and New Zealand they have rarely shown the
attacking verve expected of a team featuring top-class forwards
Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios and Nelson Valdez.
Japan, meanwhile, have been one of the tournament's delights
with their free-flowing attacking style and set-piece mastery.
After dominating Denmark 3-1 in their final group game,
striker Keisuke Honda, who scored a stunning 30-metre freekick,
has now set his sights on a place in the last eight.
"For me, for the team, the next game is more important
because we want to show the Japanese people that nothing is
impossible," he said.
DEAD AIM
Japan have also shown the rest of the teams at the World Cup
that scoring direct from a free-kick with the much-maligned
Jabulani ball is far from impossible.
Honda and Yasuhito Endo scored stunners in the same game
against Denmark and defender Tulio, who has declared himself fit
after picking up a knock against the Danes, said Japan could
exploit their set-piece superiority again.
"They (Paraguay) will be trying everything on to rile us.
Every goal is so much more precious now in this knockout stage
and it is important we try to get our noses in front first," he
told fifa.com. "One thing we will have to try and do is vary our
set-pieces to surprise them."
Paraguay would be happy to get goals from anywhere at the
moment after a lacklustre 0-0 draw with New Zealand in the final
group game highlighted their shot-shy struggles.
Defender Julio Cesar Caceres said Paraguay were not
satisfied with just reaching the second round, which they had
achieved three times before.
"We're happy that we went through the first round but our
objective is to keep writing history and the match against Japan
is the most important thing," he said.
"We are capable of playing a great match. Japan is a quick
team, we have to think about every detail against them."
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