Tricky start in store for Zico's Japan

TOKYO, May 26: Japan will face the newest kids on the block when the Asian champions take on Australia in their World Cup opener in Kaiserslautern on June 12.

Australia have moved from tiny Oceania to the far more powerful Asian confederation and will start their first World Cup for 32 years against their new Asian ''neighbours''.

The game is a potential banana skin for Japan's Brazilian coach Zico who has had his survival skills tested to the limit since being appointed in 2002.

The 53-year-old knows there will be nowhere to hide should they lose to the Socceroos as their Group F campaign continues against Croatia and world champions Brazil.

Defeat by Australia would probably condemn Japan to an early exit and the gallows humour which Zico has become adept at using in times of trouble would be of little use.

Zico, whose World Cup preparations were not helped by an attack of gastroenteritis that required a night in hospital, is well aware of the stakes.

''You just can't afford to lose your first match at a World Cup,'' he said. ''Lose it and the pressure of knowing you must win your next match at all costs becomes tremendous.

''Lose again and you're on your way home.'' Australia will be playing in their first World Cup finals since 1974 but, with Dutchman Guus Hiddink in charge and in-form Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka among their ranks, they have the potential to upset Japan.

Hiddink's credentials far outweigh Zico's. He guided South Korea to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup and took the Netherlands to the last four in 1998.

Neither has the Dutchman been the subject of public demonstrations from angry fans calling for his head as Zico has. On the contrary, they erected statues of him in South Korea.

Despite the spectre of Hiddink's Australia looming large, Zico was still confident his players would not suffer first-night nerves.

''They don't fear anyone,'' said Zico, who will step down after the World Cup. ''We're Asian champions and that is a good responsibility to have. We shouldn't fear that responsibility.'' Overcoming Brazil, however, is another thing.

''I'll just pray they have a bad day at the office,'' he shrugged. ''If you sit back, you're asking for trouble. We'll need to take some risks but that's part of the game.

''It looks impossible on paper but football is funny. The pressure on Brazil is enormous and...we'll have to see what condition Brazil's players will be in come June.'' Japan reached the last 16 of the 2002 World Cup under Frenchman Philippe Troussier but their hopes of a repeat are likely to rest more on steel than style in Germany.

They still possess a wealth of creative talent in midfield with Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura and Shinji Ono likely to play a key role.

However, the recent laboured 1-0 home win over Ecuador underlined Japan's lack of firepower in attack.

With his bags already packed, Zico will be praying those shortcomings do not come back to haunt Japan at the World Cup.

REUTERS