SAMM AUDU, Lagos | Friday 7.00pm.
Japan, the first Asian side to play in the World Youth Championship final, can beat Spain Saturday if they attack from the starting whistle, coach Philippe Troussier said on Friday.
“Tomorrow’s final against Spain is open,” the former Bafana Bafana coach said. “At this stage of the competition, everybody is tired. It’s a mental problem for the teams now, not a tactical or technical problem.” “On paper, Spain are better than my team. They have more mature players, many of whom play with top clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid. They have not lost any game at the championship so they must be really confident,” he said.
Japan, have lost once, in their opening match when they went down 2-1 to Cameroon, and few expected them to win Saturday, Troussier said.
“We are not under any sort of pressure. Spain are the ones who have to win.” “But we are disciplined and well organised and play the sort of attacking football the Spanish do not like,” he added.
“I believe that the first half of the match will be very important for us. Spain win their games in the first half. That was happened against the US, against Mali and against Ghana.
“If we’re losing by a big margin before half-time, then we have no chance of winning the Cup,” the coach went on.
Troussier said the mood in the camp was excellent and that Japan’s progress was just part of a longer term development plan for co-hosting the 2002 World Cup.
“Our success at this championship is a big step towards the 2002 World Cup. We have shown the whole world that Japan has started work the World Cup.
“I am confident that five or six players from this team can be involved at that World Cup.
On their route to the final, Japan beat the United States 3-1 and England 2-0, knocked out past winners Portugal on penalties and downed Mexico 2-1 before brushing off Uruguay 2-1.
Spain had a difficult route the final, but did not lose a single game and knocked out fancied African champions Ghana on penalties and the find of the tournament, Mali, in the semi-finals.
In the match for the third-place, Mali will take on Uruguay, who knocked out Brazil in the quarter finals.
The third-place match kicks off at 1pm GMT on Saturday and the final at 4pm GMT. — AFP