Okada not short on confidence ahead of clash with Danes

Jun 23, 2010, 22:54 GMT

Rustenburg, South Africa - Japan coach Takeshi Okada insisted on Wednesday that Denmark's height advantage does not worry him ahead of their Group E clash.

Denmark's players are, on average, 8cm taller than Japan, but Okada insisted his team have plans to combat that in a game in which a draw would carry them to the second round for the first time outside their own country.

'Of course the height can be an advantage ,' he said, 'but we've already played against teams with tall players. Height does not necessarily bring a win.

'We will have to do everything we can - get to the rebounds, stop the crosses - and God will decide the rest. We cannot make the players taller.'

In terms of combating Denmark's physical superiority, Okada believes the CSKA Moscow forward Keisuke Honda, scorer of Japan's one goal so far, will be key.

'What I expect from Honda is for him to contribute right from the beginning with his power and his strength,' he said.

'Physically speaking, he can equally compete against European players and I'd like him to take advantage of that.'

Although a draw would be enough, both Okada and midfielder Makoto Hasebe insisted they would play for a win.

'A massive match is waiting for us,' Hasebe said. 'We are staking our whole life on this match I believe, so we are not aiming at a draw.'

The Wolfsburg star said this was a game with ramifications beyond the World Cup.

'I would say going forward to the next stage would be truly meaningful, not just for the players, but for everybody involved in the Japanese football community.'

It is a measure of the importance of the game that Princess Takamado greeted the players before training at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

Japan's pre-World Cup for was poor, with two defeats to South Korea and a 3-0 reverse against Serbia, but they have been much tighter defensively since the World Cup began, conceding a single goal.

'We are a really united team, a strong team,' Hasebe said. 'It has been a natural process and our team captain (Yuji Nakazawa) has been taking care of us.

'What is wonderful about this team is that players are taking care of each other, even the players who aren't playing in the matches.'