The Japan national team has never achieved anything notable at the World Cup. This time, the Asian confederation's representative arrived at the World Cup in a form that commands lasting respect from their opponents. The head coach of the Japanese team, Hajime Moriyasu, has been working with them for so long that he knows the capabilities of every player inside out. In eight years he has built strong on-field connections among the players and various ways to use them. This has allowed the 57-year-old specialist to achieve successful results in the early rounds without two leaders: Endo and Kubo. In the opening match of the tournament, Japan played almost on equal terms with the Netherlands, not only managing to level the score shortly before the final whistle but also physically tiring out the star players of the Dutch team. In the second match, the Japanese defeated Tunisia 4-0. Perhaps in this tournament a victory over this opponent isn't a sign of exceptional class, but the dominant win indeed highlights the exceptional condition of the Japanese squad. Sweden, in the past year, has trained football fans to expect either that they play superbly or not at all. The team performed so radically differently — a disastrous group stage in European qualifying, in contrast to the subsequent triumphant playoff. Two matches of the main stage in North America were just as diametrically different for the Swedes. In the first match, Dyokeresh and his crew did not notice Tunisia, crushing them 5-1. In the second match, they were also crushed by the Netherlands 5-1. The situation in Group F before the final round is somewhat tangled. The Netherlands top the group with four points, and, with the Japanese also on four, they have the better goal difference. One point behind are Sweden. Tunisia has lost all chances of finishing above fourth place. The group winner will face Morocco in the knockout stage, while the second-placed team will face Brazil. It's not at all clear which path is more favorable, as the Brazilians haven't been displaying outstanding football. Most likely, the Japanese won't tinker with their options; they will play their game and build a lead against a less formidable opponent.