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Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek has put the pressure squarely on Japan ahead of their crucial World Cup qualifier on Wednesday night, saying his team’s need to win is not as desperate as the Blue Samurai’s.
Victory for the Socceroos in the Group One match in Yokohama would virtually put Australia into next year’s World Cup finals, and a draw would maintain their two-point lead in the group and keep them in pole position to qualify.
But second-placed Japan need something from the match to ensure the next four months doesn’t become a desperate dogfight to lock up a top two berth and automatic qualification for South Africa.
“The pressure is totally on Japan. They have to win. We’d like to win. That’s the big difference,” Verbeek said on Tuesday.
“We have three home games to go. I think we need six points to qualify for the finals.
“The pressure is not on our shoulders, the pressure is totally on Japan especially with the away game against Uzbekistan (on June 6) which is not easy also.”
Wednesday’s match will be played with an axe hovering over the head of Japan’s coach Takeshi Okada, whose future is likely to be decided by the result following a disappointing Asian Cup qualifier loss to Bahrain last month.
Okada has said he would like to shut Australia up with a good result, and also recently said Japan’s aim was a semi-final finish at the next World Cup.
Former J-League rival coaches Verbeek and Okada have been publicly sparring in the lead-up, and the wily Dutchman has also turned his attention to Japan’s players.
A sellout crowd of more than 70,000 is expected at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday night, and the hype of the clash between Asia’s two top-ranked teams is building.
“For the biggest players in the world, it’s difficult to play under pressure. It’s not always easy. We’ll see tomorrow how the pressure will affect them,” Verbeek said of Japan’s players.
“We can play without pressure, and that will make life a little easier.”
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