The Japanese fans were thrilled with their team's early
attacking play, even if Inamoto's shot was well off target.
Japan continued to string fast, attacking moves together
but their finishing let them down and the larger, more experienced Russians cleared up
comfortably.
Russian could have had a penalty when Igor Semshov was
clattered by Kazuyuki Toda, six minutes before the break.
Half-time: Japan 0 -- Russia 0
Dmitry Sychev started the second half, in place of Rusian
Pimenov, as Russia tried to look more threatening in front of goal.
-- GOAL -- 1-0 Junichi Inamoto beat the offside trap in the Russian area to put Japan in
the lead, for the first time in a World Cup finals game -- 51 mins.
Russia brought on Vladimir Beschastnykh in place of Alexei
Smertin to add more firepower to the attack and he came close within a minute.
Japan continued to have a number of chances but had trouble
getting over the ball and sent shot after shot high over the bar.
Hidetoshi Nakata could have sealed the game for Japan,
twenty minutes from time, but again his shot was a riser...... at least it hit the
crossbar though.
Japan pulled all their men back for the last ten minutes as
they sought to preserve their lead and notch up their first World Cup finals victory.
