Japan

Colombia (4-1) Japan

Japan vs. Colombia: Japan’s Very Long Shot at the Round of 16 (UPDATE: Colombia Trounces Japan)

By Andrew Palczewski   |


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Japan has a long shot at making the Round of 16, but it is possible.

UPDATE: Colombia wins over Japan, 4-1, to advance to the knockout round as the top team in Group C.

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After a draw and a loss in their last two matches, Japan is hoping for its first win of the tournament. To get it, they’ll have to beat Colombia, a team that hasn’t lost yet at the Cup, and has already qualified for the Round of 16. If Japan does beat Colombia, they’ll then have to hope for a winless Greece team to upset Cote d’Ivoire in order to advance to the next round. It’s a long-shot for sure, but it is possible. See what happens today at 4 PM ET (8 PM UTC).

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Will Either Team Survive?

Japan vs. Greece: A Long Road to the Knockout Stage

By Andrew Palczewski   |


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The Greek National Team practices prior to the World Cup.

With Colombia and Cote d’Ivoire rounding out Group C, there’s little doubt that the loser of today’s Japan/Greece match will be eliminated from the World Cup. And a draw between the two teams will likely eliminate both of them from contention.

But a win today is no guarantee, either: if Japan wins, they’ll still have to beat Group C favorite Colombia in a tough match. If Greece wins, they’ll have to get by a tough Cote d’Ivoire squad.

Who will make it out alive: Japan, Greece…or neither? Find out when they face off today at 6 PM ET (10 PM UTC) in Natal.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or follow along on Facebook, or on Twitter with #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.

Japan ( 1 - 2) Cote D'Ivoire

Group C Action: Japan v. Cote D’Ivoire

By Mike Eckel   |
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WCup Japan Stars

Brazil Soccer WCup Ivory Coast

The Elephants may very well trample over the low-ranked Samurai Blue, but you can be sure the Japanese aren’t going down without a fight. Group C’s other matchup (Colombia beat Greece earlier) opens action at 9 p.m. USEDT (1 a.m. GMT) Look to Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda to lead the way for Japan, while Didier Drogba leads a stellar cast for Ivory Coast.

For play-by-play, minute-by-minute coverage of every ball touch, throw-in, direct kick, indirect kick, yellow card, red card, corner kick, goal kick and every other possible football feat in every World Cup match, tap into VOA’s multilingual, multinational analysis.

Click here to follow the action live, or watch it on Twitter at #WorldCupVOA.

And for even more exclusive VOA coverage with a special focus on Africa’s national teams, check out VOA’s Francophone blog.