Japan And Croatia Tie 0-0
Posted June 18, 2006 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Each side had several good chances of netting a goal, but Sunday’s Croatia/Japan match-up had a frustrating finish for both teams.
Neither squad could find the net and the game ended in a goalless draw and it puts Japan at the bottom of Group F and Croatia in third.
Japan has the daunting task of taking on Brazil in its third game without its star player, captain Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, after he received his second yellow card of the tourney.
Croatia will also have to hit the pitch without Robert Kovac when it faces off against Australia Thursday for the same reason.
Sunday’s stalemate was particularly frustrating for the Japanese as they blew an early lead against the Aussies in their opening match.
Croatia had a chance to get on the board in the 21st on a penalty, but Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi blocked the shot. Just seven minutes later Croatia had another good chance but Niko Kranjcar’s kick hit the crossbar.
Yet another opportunity presented itself to the Croats in the 54th when Kranjcar lunged for Ivan Klasnic’s pass and missed just wide of the post.
Japan nearly netted one early in the second half, but that shot was just wide of the post.
This is the third straight World Cup appearance for both teams. When they last met, Croatia beat Japan 1-0 at the 1998 World Cup in France. The Croats finished third in that tourney.
