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[Blwe_torch]

TOKYO, Apr 27: Japan coach Zico said on Thursday his team's opening match against Australia will be crucial to its World Cup success.

Japan will face Guus Hiddink's side in their opening Group F match on June 12 in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Japan is also drawn with Croatia and holders Brazil.

"The match against Australia is very important to us," Zico said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan. "They have many high-level players who play in Europe and if you give them space, they'll define the match so we have to mark them very closely."

Hiddink, who guided South Korea to the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup, recently signed a two-year contract to coach Russia's national soccer team after the 2006 World Cup.

Australia will be making its first World Cup appearance since 1974.

Because Japan faces Brazil last, Zico said it's important to get off to a good start.

"We're in a very tough group," said Zico. "It's almost guaranteed that Brazil will go through so the other teams each have a 33 percent chance to advance. The team that makes the fewest mistakes will be the one that advances."

Zico, who said the goal is to make it out of Group F and hopefully to the semifinals, said he doesn't expect any favors from Brazil if Japan needs some points from its third match to move on.

"Absolutely not," the former Brazilian international said when asked if his team may get a break from the five-time world champions. "That would be a disgrace and no team should make any deals with other teams at the expense of a third team."

Zico, who took over from Philippe Troussier after the 2002 World Cup, said Japan's players have made steady progress during his four years at the helm.

"The players have become much more mature," said Zico. "We won 11 of 12 games to qualify for the World Cup and we'll be heading to Germany with confidence."

Japan will be making its third soccer World Cup appearance. Its best performance was 2002 when it advanced to the second round.

Zico has already told Japanese soccer officials that he won't be back after the World Cup and is reportedly interested a position in Europe.

He denied reports he is negotiating to become the coach of South Africa.

"There's no truth to those reports," said Zico. "All that is true at this point is I won't be back for Japan and I am interested in coaching in Europe. Other than that, I'm just focusing on the World Cup.

http://sport.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1507351.cms