Japan set up Turkey clash

Japan set up a World Cup second-round tie with Turkey thanks to a 2-0 win over Tunisia.

Supersub Hiroaki Morishima and Japanese superstar Hidetoshi Nakata were the men who scored the goals to put the co-hosts in the last 16 for the first time in their history.

Japan had never picked up a point before these finals, but seven from their three games mean they top Group H.

Both sides had started extremely tentatively, perhaps the co-hosts feeling the weight of expectation from the 45,000 fans in Nagai Stadium.

Atsushi Yanagisawa had Japan's first shot on target in the 33rd minute, Tunisia goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel saving the 20-yard left-foot strike low down.

Boumnijel's opposite number Seigo Narazaki was even more redundant in the first half, as the Africans limited themselves to the occasional counter-attack - a surprising tactic considering they needed a victory by two goals to have a chance of staying in the competition.

They did come out of their shell in the closing minutes of the half with Khaled Badra coming close with a header. In stoppage time, Kazuyuki Toda seemed to bring down Hatem Trabelsi in the area, but no penalty was forthcoming from referee Gilles Veissiere.

Japan coach Philippe Troussier's half-time team talk seemed to do the trick, and the home side's greater urgency soon brought about the opener.

Three minutes after the restart, Suzuki raced down the right and after the ball broke loose to half-time sub Morishima, he dispatched it into the net from eight yards.

The midfielder almost grabbed his second in the 53rd minute, only to see his header rebound back off the post into Boumnijel's arms.

Japan kept up the pressure, with Ono's downward header bringing a good save from Boumnijel.

After a promising brief spell from Tunisia, the Japanese reasserted their dominance in the 75th minute.

Daisuke Ichikawa, another half-time sub, swung in a cross from the right, and Nakata threw himself at the ball to head home through the 'keeper's legs.

Tunisia almost grabbed a consolation eight minutes from time, only for Ali Zitouni's snap-shot from inside the area to cannon back off the crossbar.