Friday June 14th, 2002
 Tunisia vs  Japan in Osaka (0:2)
Japan started the strongest, determined to qualify for the Second
Round.
For the first fifteen minutes it was all Japan, earning a number of
free-kicks but failing to put the host nation in front.
Then Tunisia started to find some rhythm, putting some nice passes
together but not getting a goal either.
Junichi Inamoto tried to impose himself a little more on the game....
as Japan were still searching for a goal, with half an hour gone.
Half-time: Tunisia 0 - Japan 0
0:1
The half-time pep talk worked wonders as Japan took an early second-half lead through
substitute Hiroaki Morishima - 48 mins.
Hiroaki Morishima almost made it two when he headed onto the post five
minutes later.
Japan continued to push forward, with Koji Nakata threatening
twice..... just after the hour mark.
0:2
Daisuke Ichikara crossed from the right for Hidetoshi Nakata to head through Ali
Boumnijel's legs - 75 mins.
Japan's fans could let their hair down and throw away the masks.......
their team had qualified for a place in the Second Round....
as Group H winners.
Final Score:
Tunisia 0 - Japan
2
Other Group H Match:
Belgium vs Russia
Man of the Match:
Hiroaki Morishima - Only on the pitch for the second-half, he gave Japan the confident
start they needed.
 Yellow Cards:
Riadh Bouazizi (21 mins)
Khaled Badra (81 mins)
The Teams
Tunisia:
1 Ali Boumnjiel; 2 Khaled Badra, 12 Raouf Bouzaiene (20 Ali Zitouni - 78 mins), 15 Radhi
Jaidi, 6 Hatem Trabelsi; 18 Slim Benachour, 13 Riadh Bouazizi, 23 Clayton (7 Imed Mhedhebi
- 61 mins), 10 Kais Ghodhbane; 5 Zied Jaziri, 21 Mourad Melki (3 Zoubaier Baya - 46 mins).
Japan:
12 Seigo Narazaki; 3 Naoki Matsuda, 17 Tsuneyasu Miyamoto, 16 Koji Nakata; 5 Junichi
Inamoto (8 Hiroaki Morishima - 46 mins), 20 Tomokazu Myojin, 7 Hidetoshi Nakata (19 Mitsuo
Ogasawara - 85 mins), 18 Shinji Ono, 21 Kazuyuki Toda; 11 Takayuki Suzuki, 13 Atsushi
Yanagisawa (22 Daisuke Ichikawa - 46 mins).
Referee: Gilles Veissiere 
In Korea
Group A
 Denmark, France,  Senegal,  Uruguay.
Group B
 Paraguay,  Slovenia,  Spain, 
South Africa.
Group C
 Brazil,  China,  Costa Rica,  Turkey.
Group D
 Poland,  Portugal, 
South Korea,  United States.
Korea First Round Matches.
In Japan
Group E
 Cameroon,  Germany,  Republic of Ireland, 
Saudi Arabia.
Group F
 Argentina,  England,  Nigeria,  Sweden.
Group G
 Croatia,  Ecuador,  Italy,  Mexico.
Group H
 Belgium, Japan,  Russia, Tunisia.
Japan First Round Matches.
2002 World Cup Finals - Knockout Stage.
Group Tables - Leading Goalscorers.
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