’Keeper’s heroics keep Japan in hunt

YOSHIKATSU KAWAGUCHI put in an inspired performance between the posts for Japan as the Asian champions kept their slim World Cup hopes alive yesterday.

A top class display, in the opening 45 minutes, from the former Portsmouth goalkeeper — which included a penalty save from Darijo Srna — denied the Croatians, and means both teams have to win their final game to have any chance of progressing to the knockout phase.

While the Croatians face Guus Hiddink’s Australia in the last day of Group F action, the task will be significantly tougher for Japan as they take on defending champions and tournament favourites Brazil, as Japan look to qualify for the last 16 for the second World Cup in a row.

Just as he did before Japan’s late capitulation against Australia, Kawaguchi’s heroics in goal kept his team in the game as the Croatians created the better chances at the Franken-Stadion.

There was no better opportunity for Zlatko Kranjcar’s team than in the 22nd minute, when they were awarded a penalty for a foul by Japanese captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto on Dado Prso.

Miyamoto, who was booked for the infringement and will miss the Brazil game after also picking up a yellow card against the Socceroos, was beaten as he tussled with the Rangers striker for a bouncing ball and, as he turned to recover, he brought down the former Monaco man.

But it was to count for nothing as Kawaguchi guessed correctly to deny Srna, diving to his left to turn the spot-kick around the post and away for the relative safety of a corner.

JAPAN: Kawaguchi, Miyamoto, Kaji, Nakazawa, Santos, Ogasawara, Hidetoshi Nakata, Nakamura, Fukunishi (Inamoto 45), Takahara (Oguro 85), Yanagisawa (Tamada 61).

Subs Not Used: Narazaki, Moniwa, Komano, Endo, Koji Nakata, Maki, Doi, Ono, Tsuboi.

CROATIA: Pletikosa, Robert Kovac, Simunic, Tudor (Olic 70), Simic, Srna (Bosnjak 86), Babic, Nico Kovac, Kranjcar (Modric 78), Prso, Klasnic.

Subs Not Used: Balaban, Butina, Didulica, Ivan Leko, Jerko Leko, Seric, Tokic, Tomas, Vranjes.

Attendance: 41,000

Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).