14th Jun 2014 | World Cup
Ivory Coast v Japan Tip: Blue Samurai Can Edge A Thriller
Japan have been on sparkling form since last Autumn. Even if their defence remains suspect, they look capable of outscoring some of their Group C opponents anyway.
Group C’s most decisive match may be the one that occurs at 2am UK time, kicking off about an hour after England’s clash with Italy winds up. The irony is that while the heavyweight clash in Group D has the potential to be a bore-fest, the game taking place in the middle of the night may prove very exciting.
The reason for this is that Japan are playing. The Blue Samurai have been providing entertainment here, there and everywhere in the run-up to this tournament with their high-scoring matches. Their last six results read:
Netherlands 2-2 Japan
Belgium 2-3 Japan
Japan 4-2 New Zealand
Japan 1-0 Cyprus
Costa Rica 1-3 Japan
Japan 4-3 Zambia
That makes it five wins, one draw and no defeats since last November with 17 goals scored and 10 conceded. Considering three of those good results came against fellow World Cup qualifiers, it’s puzzling why the bookies still aren’t taking Japan too seriously.
The Ivory Coast are the slight favourites (7/4 Coral) to take the spoils in Recife but their credentials are disputable. Yes they have Yaya Toure, the best player in the group, but he can’t protect a vulnerable defence all by himself, any more than he can score all the goals.
Based on form and vitality, I have no hesitation in backing Alberto Zaccheroni’s charges here. Japan are 2/1 (Betfred) for the straight victory, but we can improve our options massively by taking them to win but with both teams to score at a best price of 6/1 (Boylesports). Given that we can see that only one of their five recent successes has come with a clean sheet, this is a no-brainer.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 02:10 14th Jun, 2014 but subject to change
