World Cup Group C updates live in RecifeAll the latest standings, results, fixtures and more And you can email paul.connolly.casual@theguardian.com
3.58am BST
It's all over. The Ivory Coast come from one goal down to overhaul Japan in what was a very watchable match. All it took was two headers in two minutes. Japan will be disappointed. They seemed in control for so long. But once they went behind they seemed to lack the energy and wit to grab an equaliser.
Mark O'Donnell is back to close out the coverage: "I got the score wrong but it's been another cracking game, glad I stayed up for it. Japan just seemed to fade away in the second half. Anyway, it's definitely time for bed now..."
3.53am BST
90 min + 4: Ya is down again, moments after coming back on. He's carried off between two sturdy shoulders. And he no sooner clears the sideline than the referee ends the match.
3.52am BST
90 min + 4: Japan again go long but there's no plan behind it. And again, the Ivory Coast deal with it comfortably. It's looking like Ivory Coast's night as the clock ticks past the four extra minutes...
3.50am BST
90 min + 3: A lengthy stoppage is endured before Japan knock it long in hope. But Drogba wins possession and runs clear.
3.49am BST
90 min + 2: Four minutes of additional time, as Ya sits on the deck, glistening with sweat, worrying over his knee.
3.48am BST
90 min: The Ivory Coast take a couple of corners that they don't seem too interested in knocking into the middle. But their attempts to hold the ball up results in a goal kick to Japan.
3.47am BST
89 min: Don't rule out Japan just yet, says Kalim Quadri. "They've recently been scoring goals at the death. Usually good levels of fitness but they all seem a bit leggy out there."
They better get a wriggle on... and now Kalou forces Kawashima to tip his angled shot out for a corner.
3.45am BST
87 min: An explosion of action! First Barry punches a Japanese cross into midfield, then Gervinho sets off at pace down the central corridor. He attempts a one-two but his one is better than the two and an opportunity goes begging.
3.43am BST
85 min: Drogba nearly seals it! From a Kalou incursion on the right, Drogba is found all by his lonesome on the left-edge of the box. He has time to line it up and hit it sweetly but a desperate Japanese leg thrown in front of it (still attached to the body it belongs to, just to be clear) does enough to deflect it wide.
3.40am BST
83 min: Playing something like 2-5-3 at the moment, the Ivory Coast are playing keepings off. Japan are struggling to get the ball here.
3.39am BST
80 min: Uchida, Honda and Kagawa move the ball around the egde of the Ivory Coast box but the Elephants are back in numbers and a clean shot can't be found.
Up the other end all of a sudden and a foul 30-yards out, in centre field, gives the Ivory Coast a free kick. Drogba takes it and it's headed to the top right corner but Kawashima pushes it wide without too much bother.
3.36am BST
79 min: Japan seem a little muted here, particularly since they are a goal down. The humidity could be a factor, but perhaps they are gathering their strength for one last push. Only ten to go.
3.35am BST
77 min: A hurried shot from distance by Yaya Toure threatens not. With the ball out of play, Bony is substituted for Konan Ya. With that goal under his belt, the Swansea man will be pretty happy about how his night turned out.
3.33am BST
76 min: Bernardo Sousa reporting live from the Ivory Coast. "The mood here is the same as ever: Drogba is the sole [player] responsible for this turn around. His aura, his bravery, his attitude. Everything about Drogba is sanctified. No coincidences here!" Methinks you have a man crush.
3.31am BST
74 min: Ivory Coast substitution: Boka off for Djakpa.
3.30am BST
72 min: Boka has been carried off with a knock of some description, and now Uchida is called off-side just as he gets on the end of a long raking pass.
3.28am BST
71 min: Rob Richardson is very happy ("Drogba! Drogba! Drogba! etc) while David Healey has made up his mind which team to support in this one: "After careful consideration I've decided I want Japan to win because they've got at least one player in normal black football boots.
"I've just read that back and dear me what an old codger I've become. Also, I'm clearly a massive jinx!"
3.27am BST
69 min: And so the game has been turned on its head! Ever since Drogba came on, in fact. Not that he had anything to with the Ivory Coast goals but it can't just be a coincidence can it?
3.25am BST
Crikey! The Ivory Coast are in front! In an almost carbon copy of the last goal, Aurier, fed by Gervinho, sent in another testing cross. This time it was Gervinho who got of the end of it, his header finding the bottom right corner. Kawashima was there at the near post, but the ball bounced through his hands. He should have had that.
3.22am BST
Aurier, who's having a great night, curls in a wicked, Beckham-esque cross and Bony, wasteful up until now, holds off Morishige to thump home a header!
3.20am BST
62 min: Substitution Ivory Coast: Drogba on for Serey... so not Bony, who is reprieved.
And immediately he causes trouble for Japan, his back-heel to Gervinho in the Japanese box creating havoc. But no goal.
3.18am BST
60 min: It's a bit scrappy here with both teams losing possession left, right and centre.
3.16am BST
57 min: Classic Yaya! He races forward and into the box like a train out of a tunnel, using his strength to keep Yoshida at bay. But the ball gets tangled under his feet, and he then falls and rolls a few more times than was necessary.
Moments later, another Bony glancing header has too much glance on it. Drogba must be on soon.
3.13am BST
55 min: Honda and Endo stand over the ball and have a long and satisfying chat about life, the universe and everything. They should have discussed what to do with the free-kick, however, because it's wasted.
3.11am BST
54 min: Japan substitution: Captain Hasebe off, Endo on.
And now Okazaki is fouled by Bamba a foot across the knee just outside the Ivory Coast box.
3.10am BST
53 min: "Yaya Toure seems to be stuck in third gear," says the commentator, perhaps forgetting that's his default position.
3.09am BST
51 min: Zach Neely has an answer on that bib issue: "Regarding Van Persie, FIFA by-law 1301.5(b) clearly states that 'Raymond Reardon is wasting his life.'"
3.07am BST
49 min: Japan get numbers forward and Hasebe tries to catch Barry off guard with a shot from the left edge of the D but he drags it wide.
3.06am BST
46 min: Kagawa slides in to hook a ball from the feet of Serey on the Ivory Coast byline. He gets up to shoot but it was over the line.
Up the other end and Bony misses an excellent chance! Aurier's cross is deflected but finds Bony anyway. Perhaps the slight deflection threw him off but his unopposed header hits his left ear and the ball flies wide of the right post. Not the happiest game for Bony so far.
3.03am BST
Here we go! The Ivory Coast win early possession as we note that Bony has not been pulled (sorry) for Drogba as some have anticipated.
3.02am BST
They are coming back onto the pitch and Japan get into a huddle, obviously working out who's going to take the kick-off.
2.57am BST
Raymond Reardon is still thinking about yesterday's Socceroos-Chile match. "On the subject of the fabulous flying dutchman Robin van Persie, after being substituted in the 79th minute he re-entered the playing field without his FIFA allocated bib to help celebrate Arjen Robben's 80th minute goal," he says, warming up. "In Aussie Rules a team captain can call for a count of players and if it exceeds the maximum allowed then the opposition's total score is annulled at that point in time. What is the position in regard to FIFA world cup matches?"
Anyone?
2.53am BST
Rob Richardson is also intrigued by the background sounds. "Watching from Brooklyn New York," he says. "What in the world is that sound in the background? I hear drums. But I also hear a sound that sounds like bees being swung in a hammock. What does it sound like from Australia?"
From here? More like wasps in a sock, I'd say Rob. Could be the Coriolis effect at play. Or something.
2.47am BST
A very enjoyable half of football that, with opportunities for both teams.
2.46am BST
44 min: Some nice interplay by the Ivory Coast Aurier, Gervinho, Yaya finds the Machester City hero in space but his shot-on-the-turn from the six-yard box is blocked. Kawashima then makes a regulation save from a follow-up speculator.
2.43am BST
42 min: As Kalou nurses a sore thigh, Richard Ashton wonders if he is falling into a trance. "Oddly hypnotic sound from these drums and shakers in the crowd (although the fact it's 2.30 and I have work in the morning may also have something to do with the trance-like state I'm slipping into)."
2.42am BST
41 min: The pattern here seems to involve Japan sitting back and striking on the counter. Some of the Ivory Coast players seem to have the turning circle of semi-trailers, so it's not a bad ploy.
2.40am BST
39 min: Oh Gareth, Bony goes close! Serey digs out a cross and Bony meets it near the penalty spot but he miscues his volley and it goes high and wide. Coulda, woulda, shoulda.
2.39am BST
37 min: Gareth Morris Jones is watching form Japan. "I'm torn," he says. "I'm a Swansea boy watching from my sofa in Osaka. Perhaps my ideal result is a Bony hat-trick in a game he ultimately loses. I'm enjoying your updates- I struggle to follow the Japanese commentary..."
2.37am BST
35 min: End to end stuff. Honda goes on a mazy dribble and finds room for a shot but it's deflected for a corner, which comes to nothing.
2.36am BST
34 min: The Ivory Coast are getting on top here and Bony angles a pass ahead of Gervinho but his early shot is blocked by Bamba for a corner.
The corner is cleared and Boka, from about 30-yards, hammers it back and Kawashima is forced into a diving save! That would have been some goal. Bony goes for the rebound by he's offside.
2.32am BST
30 min: And misses. But it was a much closer thing. This time he went for the top right corner and the curl was there to take it past Kawashima, but it was a tad too high. Not sure if Kawashima would have saved that had it been a couple of inches lower.
2.31am BST
29 min: Gervinho in space now and, as he gets into a good shooting position, Osako clatters into the back of him. Yaya lines up another free kick a few metres outside the D...
2.30am BST
26 min: Yaya cries out for a penalty for hand-ball, but it's not given. A ball to hand thing. Yaya had skipped down the left, Hasebe hauled him in, and as Yaya attempted to get by him with a little chip it hit Hasebe's hand, which was by his side.
2.28am BST
25 min: It's calmed down a little now, giving me time to note that moments after Simon McMahon posted his concern that this could be the first 0-0 draw of the tournament, Japan scored. "I did that deliberately," he said in a follow-up email.
2.25am BST
23 min: ... but Yaya's shot clears the bar and sails into the crowd.
2.24am BST
21 min: It's all Japan now... but as I speak, Dia wins possession in the midfield and gallops through the central channel like a thoroughbred. As he approaches the D and attempts to jink around Yoshida, the defender brings him down. He gets a yellow, and the Ivory Coast get a free kick in a great position.
2.22am BST
19 min: Now Japan are threatening, and Uchida almost gets Japan another! Motoring down the right, he skips past Serey, shapes on his left and shoots. But Barry gets down to his left to keep it out.
How quickly momentum has shifted.
2.19am BST
All of a sudden Japan have the lead! A short corner is whipped across to Honda just inside the box and with more time than he should ever have had, he leathers a left-foot firecracker past Barry's right glove into the top left corner!
2.17am BST
15 min: Okazaki wins a near post header and attempts to glance it into the far corner but he doesn't hit it cleanly enough. But the Ivory Coast have to clear for another corner.
2.15am BST
14 min: Okazaki, leaping for a midfield header, is collected by Zokora in a heavy knock. He looks a little ginger, as you would be. Zokora has some heft.
From the free kick Japan threaten down the left but Aurier is there to clean up for a corner. Honda takes it...
2.14am BST
13 min: Japan have just not got themselves into this game as yet. They are finding it hard to penetrate into the final third. There's a wall of orange shirts blocking their way. And now the rain starts to fall.
2.12am BST
10 min: Honda and Osako try to fashion a cross from the right but, under pressure, Osako loses the ball over the byline before Barry needs to worry about an incoming threat.
2.09am BST
8 min: Japan sitting back now as the Ivory Coast knock it from side to side. They've started well the Ivorians.
2.08am BST
6 min: Just wide from Bony! Gervinho scoots down the right wing, feeds Bony in the box but his shot is deflected just wide! The Ivory Coast maintain possession from the corner, and already their physicality is putting Japan under pressure.
2.06am BST
5 min: Aurier whips in another cross, in Bony's direction, but it misses everyone and rolls out for a throw in. The Ivory Coast with the early running.
2.05am BST
3 min: A forward foray from the Ivory Coast, with Yaya strolling through the midfield before an attempted header by Gervinho from a cross from Aurier (I think) is cleared away for a corner. Nothing comes of it.
2.03am BST
2 min: Kagawa threads through a defence splitting pass but it's overhit and Barry picks it up as casually as you'd expect for someone called Barry.
2.02am BST
1 min: Japan string together a few nerve settling passes as we hear that the Ivory Coast have scored13 goals in their last five games without Drogba.
2.01am BST
The Elephants get us under way!
1.59am BST
Simon McMahon congratulates me for bagging the best game of the tournament so far. "I'm really looking forward to this one," he says. "3-2 to Japan I'm going for. Although what that means for England I'm not entirely sure."
This game will be the last thing on England's mind round about now.
1.56am BST
Here they come, Japan in all blue, the Ivory Coast in all orange. Or is it tangerine?
A man in the crowd is holding up a scarf that says "1000%" Elephants. That takes the standard "110%" and blitzes it.
1.53am BST
And for the sake of even-handedness, here he is again keying out Japans national anthem. As you can hear, its a rather more sombre piece. Unlike his polo and check shorts combo.
1.52am BST
They'll be sauntering out in a bit. The ref will grab the ball off the plinth, an utterly pointless piece of theatre, and then we'll get the anthems.
Here's the Ivory Coast anthem played on a piano quite well (to my untrained ear) by a bloke in an aqua polo and check shorts.
1.51am BST
All this talk of coffee makes me want one. Not that I need help to stay awake. I'm in Melbourne, and it's approaching 11am. An utterly civilised time to watch football. But there are clouds ahead for me. Two 2am Socceroos kick-offs coming up. 2am. Do you stay up? Do you attempt a few hours' kip? A troublesome time, as those in the UK will be currently appreciating.
1.47am BST
Mark O'Donnell is also thinking of stimulating beverages. "It's strong coffee time," he says. "ITV are doing a great job of building up to this intriguing match-up between Africa and Asia by talking about England.
"I fancy Japan to cause a few surprises, they won all their warm-ups including a 3-1 win over that handy Costa Rica side and last year they beat Belgium 3-2 in Brussels. I fancy Japan to win 2-1 tonight."
1.45am BST
Alex and Sian are staying up for this one. "You lovely Guardian chaps have been nice enough to give quite a bit of love to Panini Cheapskates (stingy married couple attempt to fill Panini album with home-made stickers) in the last couple of days," says Alex. "In case it's of any use to you, here's a wee Keisuke Honda and a little Gervinho for your delectation. Ta! Hope you've got a coffee on." Thanks, Alex. It's almost like a photograph, isn't it?
Time for #CIVvsJPN ... Honda looks pensive. Gervinho looks like nothing else on planet Earth. pic.twitter.com/X5AkOHyJoX
1.42am BST
And how about Yaya? He's alright, too:
1.39am BST
The hope is for some open play today, and plenty of goals. On that front, heres a taste of Okazaki.
1.37am BST
The teams:
Ivory Coast: Barry, Boka, Zokora, Kalou, Tiote, Gervinho, Bony, Aurier, Y.Toure, Serey, Bamba. SUBS: Diarrassouba, K Touré, Bolly, Akpa-Akpro, Drogba, Ya Konan, Diomand, Gradel, Gbohouo, Djakpa, Sio, Mandé
1.33am BST
Time for something a little less salient.
Did you know, asks Francois, that as a teenager Drogba was banned from playing football for a year by his parents after failing school exams? At the age of five he travelled to Brittany to stay with his uncle Michel Goba, who was a professional footballer, and did not see his parents again until he return back home three years later.
1.30am BST
And heres François Kouakou on the Ivory Coasts tactical set-up, as well as these few answers to some key questions:
Gervinho. He may have been a flop at Arsenal but the man with a suitably Brazilian-sounding nickname will arrive at the World Cup in dazzling form following his superb season with Roma. Explosive and penetrative, he can trouble any defence.
1.27am BST
So, you want a little more on our combatants today? Dont look at me, I just work here. Best, I think, to leave you in the hands of some authorties from the Guardian Experts Network series: Ben Mabley and François Kouakou.
Heres Ben on Japans transformation under Zaccheroni. And heres his take on a few salient questions.
Who is the player who is going to surprise everyone at the World Cup?
Japan may still lack a top-class goalscorer, but they don't necessarily need one as long as the striker facilitates those just behind him. As he showed against Holland, Yuya Osako can be that man. The 23-year-old sometimes flattered to deceive during his first four years at Kashima Antlers and was dropped from the Japan squad for the London Olympics. But 19 J-League goals in 2013 earned him a chance at the East Asian Cup, before that excellent performance against Holland where he combined so well with Honda, Kagawa, and Okazaki. A January move to the Bundesliga second tier appeared risky six months ahead of the World Cup, but Osako has been a regular performer for mid-table 1860 Munich, top scoring with six goals in just 15 appearances.
The clear issue is in defence, but since expectations there are so low as a result, it probably would not count as a disappointment if the back line imploded. As a colleague at JSports recently pointed out, Honda may be the absolute central player to whom injury would be most devastating, but because he is such a consistent performer, Japan's fortunes actually depend more on the form of Shinji Kagawa. It is vital for the side's attacking fluency that the former Borussia Dortmund star is confident and on his game. There is little point in Honda pulling all the strings in midfield if Kagawa is moping about his difficult season at Old Trafford and cannot exert similar levels of influence.
1.02am BST
Hello there. After Colombia romped home against Greece to get Group C up and running some eight hours ago, its time for the second Group C fixture, this one between the Ivory Coast and Japan, teams whove played each other only three times in history. The head-to-head? For what its worth about 15c (or 8p) Japan lead 2-1, although their last meeting, in 2010, was a 2-0 win to Les Éléphants, which, if my French is right, translates as The Elephants. What can I say, some people are just good with languages.
1.00am BST
Paul will be here shortly.
Continue reading... |
| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theguardian.com |
