Soccer: Do or die day for proud Asian co-hosts

YOKOHAMA, Japan - Two neighbours, two rivals, two teams needing just a draw to confound the critics and reach the knock-out stage of the World Cup: co-hosts South Korea and Japan face their day of soccer destiny tonight.

The final day of the first round will also decide the fate of Portugal, one of the more fancied teams left in a competition that has already witnessed the shock exit of favourites Argentina and defending champions France and nearly claimed the scalp of three-times winners Italy.

But in Asia at least, all eyes will be on Japan and South Korea, who need a point to ensure they do not tarnish Asia's improving soccer reputation by becoming the first World Cup hosts ever to go out at the first-round stage.

Elimination would be especially mortifying for South Korea, which has used Asia's first World Cup to show the world that, with its sleek stadiums and ultra-high-speed internet network, it has stepped out of the economic shadows of big brother Japan.

The problem is that South Korea have to clear a higher hurdle than Japan to stay in the competition.

The Koreans need a draw against Portugal to be sure of going through from group D, while Japan face less highly rated Tunisia.

South Korea kick off in Inchon at 8.30 pm local time (1130 GMT) at the same time as Poland play the United States in Taejon.

By then the Koreans will know whether Japan, whose brutal military rule of the peninsula from 1910-1945 left wounds that are still far from healed, have made it through group H.

Tunisia and Japan kick off (6.30pm NZ time) in Osaka at the same time as Belgium face Russia in Shizuoka.

Japan coach Philippe Troussier ruled out abandoning his team's attacking game even though they need only a draw.

"We know we are 80 per cent certain of reaching the second round but we want to go through on our terms, playing our style of football," Troussier said on Thursday.

Japan's first professional soccer league started only a decade ago, but Troussier said reaching the second round is no longer a dream for Japan, who drew 1-1 with Belgium and raised the roof in Yokohama on Sunday when they secured their first-ever World Cup victory, over Russia 1-0.

"It is a question of mathematics. Japan are in this position because we deserve to be and now the players have a chance to write another page in history," said the Frenchman, who will step down as Japan coach after the World Cup.

Tunisia lost 2-0 to Russia but gave a better account of themselves in a 1-1 draw with Belgium. They need to beat Japan, the Asian champions, by two clear goals to advance.

"We don't really have much of a chance against Japan. They are at home with their own crowd, they have a very, very good team and it's going to be very, very difficult," Tunisia coach Ammar Souayah said.

A draw would be enough to take Russia through, while Belgium must win.

In group D, South Korea will throw everything they have at Portugal, who recovered from a shock 3-2 defeat against the United States to overrun Poland 4-0 with a delightful hat-trick from striker Pauleta.

"It's very obvious we have to stop their powerful attack," South Korea's Dutch coach, Guus Hiddink, said. "But we also try to take the initiative."

For Portugal, who scored more goals than any other European team en route to qualifying for their first finals in 16 years, the stakes are also high.

"It's an extremely important game for our careers, and in our lives as footballers," said left back Rui Jorge.

Having beaten Portugal, the United States will kick themselves if they fail to secure the draw they need against disappointing, already-eliminated Poland to be sure of a second-round berth.

They could also edge through if they lose, depending on the outcome of the South Korea-Portugal game.

US coach Bruce Arena is expecting a tough encounter, with the Americans again likely to have the crowd on their backs.

South Koreans have a love-hate relationship with the United States, but 60,000 raucous home fans left the US team in no doubt of their allegiance during the 1-1 draw in Taegu on Monday.

"The South Korean fans were fantastic for them," US goalkeeper Brad Friedel said. "It wasn't a hostile crowd, but it was like playing against a 12th man."

That's how the Japanese supporters have been described, too. But Japan's strait-laced businessmen are having a tougher time than their South Korean opposite numbers in joining in the spirit of the soccer carnival.

Whereas many South Korean companies gave their workers a half-day off to watch the US game, a spokeswoman at big Japanese bank Mizuho Holdings seemed shocked at a more modest suggestion that staff might want to watch the decider against Tunisia on television.

"After all, you can't work and watch TV at the same time," she said.

- REUTERS

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