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GROUP H REVIEW
JAPAN 2-0 TUNISIA
GOALS from Hiroaki Morishima and Hidetoshi Nakata booked Japan's berth safely in round two - and maintained the World Cup's record of seeing every host nation qualify for the second phase... for another five hours at least.
After a nervous, cagey first period, a brace of half-time substitutions by Philippe Troussier swung the pendulum firmly in Japan's favour.
Hiroaki Morishima needed only two-and-a-half minutes to get onto the scoresheet - accurately hooking into the top corner from 16 yards with a sweetly-struck, curling effort.
Tunisia were a real disappointment. A 2-0 win for them would have seen them qualify for the second round no mater what the outcome between Belgium and Russia, but they offered precious little in return. The Africans only came close when Ali Zitouni hit the crossbar with ten minutes left.
But by that time, Parma's Hidetoshi Nakata had doubled the advantage with a fine header, after a right-wing cross from Daisuke Ichikawa - another half-time replacement.
Japan's win kept them at the top of the group - and more importantly, means they avoid Brazil in the next round. It's Turkey next for the co-hosts.
BELGIUM 3-2 RUSSIA
BELGIUM emerged victorious from this topsy-turvy clash that swung one way and then the other, to pinch the second qualifying spot in Group H from underneath Russia's feet.
Robert Waseige's side needed a win to book their place in the second round, whereas a draw would have sufficed for their opponents. But not for the first time in this year's World Cup, a team going for victory found it somewhat easier than the team playing for a draw.
Midfielder Johan Walem gave the Belgians a fantastic start with a stunning free-kick after only seven-minute, curling it left-footed into the top right-hand corner. It meant Belgium were now in pole position and - until Japan took the lead against Tunisia - actually headed the group.
But Russia, who introduced striker Dimitri Sychev after half an hour, chased their way back in to the game, and turned the tables on 52 minutes. Dimitri Khoklov played a fine through ball to Sychev, whose shot was palmed out by Geert De Vlieger. But it fell beautifully for Vladimir Beschastnykh, who tucked the rebound home.
With Belgium relegated from first to third in an instant, it was their turn to bring on a striker to save the game. And Wesley Sonck - the top scorer in Belgium this season, converted a flying header across the keeper with just twelve minutes remaining.
A deflected shot from Marc Wilmots - his third goal of the tournament - rubber-stamped the lead four minutes later, and although Sychev pulled one back two minutes from time, it was the Belgian fans who erupted with relief at the final whistle.
BELGIUM 1-1 TUNISIA
BELGIUM AND TUNISIA played out a snore-draw in Oita that did very little for either teams' qualification chances - although the calculators show that neither team can pack their bags just yet.
Veteran Marc Wilmots gave Belgium a 13th-minute lead with his second goal of the tournament - stabbing home a volley from close range after Branko Strupar headed back across goal.
But Tunisia threw eveything forward and netted an equaliser four minutes later, when Raouf Bouaziene curled home a delightful free-kick from 25 yards, to score his very first international goal.
The match fizzled out badly after the break as the humid conditions took their toll, but midfielder Kaies Ghodhbane hit an acrobatic volley six inches wide from 25 yards - it would have been goal of the tournament.
Both sides seemed to appreciate the urgency of the situation in injury-time, when Ghodhbane and Wesley Sonck both came close to winners, but both fired narrowly off-target.
It means there's all to play for in the final round of games - but Japan and Russia are certainly in pole position to qualify.
JAPAN 1-0 RUSSIA
JAPAN are within touching distance of a place in the World Cup second round.
Arsenal’s forgotten man Junichi Inamoto broke the deadlock just 10 minutes into the second-half.
The Japanese midfielder, who scored one of the greatest goals of the tournament in Japan’s victory against Belgium, did it again. This time he latched on to a through ball and fired it past Ruslan Nigmatullin in the Russian goal.
The atmosphere in the Yokohoma stadium was amazing, and the fans quickly got behind the Japanese side.
Hidetoshi Nakata went close to breaking the deadlock on 23, but unfortunately he volleyed the ball over the bar.
It wasn’t all one way traffic though Russia had plenty of chances to equalise. Substitute Vladimir Beschastnykh could have scored with his first touch as he latched on to a flick on and rounded Narazaki, only to hit the side-netting.
JAPAN 2-2 BELGIUM
Belgiums Peter van der Hayden struck with 15 minutes left to deny co- hosts Japan victory in their opening game.
VAn der Heyden was on hand to lob Seigo Narazaki as his side rescued a point in an entertaining game.
Japan had fallen behind through Marc Wilmots before Takayuki Suzuki made the score 1-1 two minutes later.
Junichi Inamoto's powerful strike put his side in front and he was unlucky to have a goal ruled out late on.