Japan

Socceroos meet Japan with chance to capitalise on old foes’ worrying dip in form | John Duerden

11-Oct-2021 16:30:05 | The Guardian

Australia can put one foot in Qatar while at the same time seriously damaging their main rivals’ hopes of reaching the World Cup

Australia’s famous win in Kaiserslautern in 2006 was painful for Japan, but the Socceroos could take these two side’s rivalry to another level on Tuesday, when they have an opportunity to blast a massive hole in the Samurai Blue’s chances of even reaching the World Cup. Few would have predicted that, heading into the fourth game of this phase of qualification, Australia could open up a nine-point lead over the team long regarded as Asia’s best.

They are not looking like that at the moment. Japan may have reached double figures against Mongolia and Myanmar in the previous rounds but so far in this stage, from which just the top two teams in the group automatically qualify for the tournament in Qatar, they have scored just one goal in three games.