After losing their Group C openers, Japan and Greece will be looking to rediscover the qualities which got them to Brazil as they bid to keep their campaigns alive at the Arena das Dunas on Thursday.
There is little doubt that only three points will do if either side is to extend their stay in Brazil beyond the group stage.
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Japan’s attacking flair helped them become the first country to qualify for Brazil but they paid the price for uncharacteristic timidity after taking an early lead in their opening 2-1 loss to Ivory Coast in Recife.
Abandoning the fast, intricate passing that gave them the lead through Keisuke Honda after 16 minutes, they sat back in defence and were ultimately bullied out of the contest by the powerful Ivorians.
“Possession, that is our strength,” Honda said. “When we have the ball we just need to keep the ball and not give it away easily. When we do lose the ball we should press immediately. That is our philosophy.”
Italian coach Alberto Zaccheroni is unlikely to make sweeping changes to his side, although Yoshito Okubo might have done enough as a substitute in Recife to get the nod over the disappointing Yuya Osaka, up front.
Attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa has also taken some flak for his display against Ivory Coast but his place in the side is probably safe, with Japan fans hoping he might be able to produce something special to unlock the Greek defence.
Former European champions Greece conceded four goals in 10 qualifying matches for Brazil but almost as many in their first match of the tournament, a 3-0 defeat to Colombia in Belo Horizonte.
They came to the World Cup promising a more adventurous style and, considering themselves unlucky to have gone down by such a margin to the Colombians, will not be abandoning it.
“Everyone expected we would have 11 men behind the ball, defend, defend, defend and give everything to keep a clean sheet,” said striker Georgios Samaras.
“But I think what they saw was a team that likes to attack, that moves the ball really well, and that tries always to create chances.
“We went out to win against Colombia, and that philosophy will not change. We just hope it brings a better result for us because Japan is now a must-must-win game for us.
“We created chances against Colombia and that’s something we can’t forget. On another day, it could have been us winning, and that’s something we need to take into this massive match.”
Fernando Santos, Greece’s Portuguese coach, will be hoping for an end to concentration lapses at the back that cost the team so dear in Belo Horizonte.
Tricky winger Ioannis Fetfatzidis’s better ball retention might get him the nod ahead of forward Dimitris Salpingidis, while Fanis Gekas could make way for Kostas Mitroglou up front despite hitting the bar against Colombia.
“Mitrogoal” is Greece’s most expensive export and although a knee injury disrupted his preparations for the tournament, it would seem the time for caution is over.
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Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
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Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
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Coming soon
Torno Subito by Massimo Bottura
When the W Dubai – The Palm hotel opens at the end of this year, one of the highlights will be Massimo Bottura’s new restaurant, Torno Subito, which promises “to take guests on a journey back to 1960s Italy”. It is the three Michelinstarred chef’s first venture in Dubai and should be every bit as ambitious as you would expect from the man whose restaurant in Italy, Osteria Francescana, was crowned number one in this year’s list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
Akira Back Dubai
Another exciting opening at the W Dubai – The Palm hotel is South Korean chef Akira Back’s new restaurant, which will continue to showcase some of the finest Asian food in the world. Back, whose Seoul restaurant, Dosa, won a Michelin star last year, describes his menu as, “an innovative Japanese cuisine prepared with a Korean accent”.
Dinner by Heston Blumenthal
The highly experimental chef, whose dishes are as much about spectacle as taste, opens his first restaurant in Dubai next year. Housed at The Royal Atlantis Resort & Residences, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal will feature contemporary twists on recipes that date back to the 1300s, including goats’ milk cheesecake. Always remember with a Blumenthal dish: nothing is quite as it seems.
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
360Vuz PROFILE
Date started: January 2017
Founder: Khaled Zaatarah
Based: Dubai and Los Angeles
Sector: Technology
Size: 21 employees
Funding: $7 million
Investors: Shorooq Partners, KBW Ventures, Vision Ventures, Hala Ventures, 500Startups, Plug and Play, Magnus Olsson, Samih Toukan, Jonathan Labin
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
