There’s Brazil, and there’s the rest

Japan coach Zico played at three World Cups for Brazil and his experience could prove crucial. However, he is not even thinking of emulating Japan’s performance last time, when they topped their group at home.

“Brazil stand out head and shoulders above the rest,” Zico said. “With most of their players now plying their trade in Europe, they’ll have the strongest squad in the group. So Australia, Croatia and Japan will each have a one-in-three chance of taking the other qualifying slot.”

Japan are the highest-ranked team in the group after No. 1 Brazil, but the Asian champions are only rated 18th by Fifa – even though they were the first team to join hosts Germany in qualifying for the tournament.

Each team knows it would be one of the World Cup’s biggest shocks if they beat Brazil. So the competition is trying to identify where they are going to pick up the crucial points that would send them through to the second round.

Japan open against Australia on June 12 and play Croatia on June 18, when Brazil play Australia. Brazil open against Croatia on June 13, and play Japan in the last round of group games on June 22.

“If we play to our potential, we should have as good a chance of any of the others of going through,” Zico said.

“The first game against Australia is crucial to our chances.” While Japan don’t have anyone with the ability of Brazil’s world player of the year Ronaldinho, Real Madrid striker Ronaldo, AC Milan playmaker Kaka or Inter Milan forward Adriano, they have players with experience in Europe’s top leagues.

Bolton’s Hidetoshi Nakata and former Feyenoord player Shinji Ono return after helping Japan reach the second round in 2002.

But Japan will have tough competition. While Australia have little tournament pedigree, their coach does. The Socceroos are coached by Guus Hiddink, who led the Netherlands to the Semi-finals at the World Cup in 1998 and repeated the feat with South Korea four years later. “He likes the Australian attitude,” Australia striker John Aloisi said. Aloisi, who scored the winning penalty kick goal in a shootout to give Australia victory over Uruguay and their first World Cup appearance in 32 years, is another trying to figure out where his team can pick up points.