Ivory Coast v Japan (02:00 BST) please log in to view this image Arena Pernambuco, Recife please log in to view this image Team News: Yaya Toure is fit to start for Ivory Coast after a thigh injury but forward Didier Drogba drops to the bench, with Swansea City's Wilfried Bony coming in. Japan, who have kept only one clean sheet in their last nine matches, include Manchester United's Shinji Kagawa. Ivory Coast: Barry, Aurier, Boka, Tiote, Bamba, Zokora, Y Toure, Die, Bony, Gervinho, Kalou. Subs: Diarrassouba, K Toure, Bolly, Akpa-Akpro, Drogba, Ya Konan, Diomande, Gradel, Gbohouo, Djakpa, Sio, Mande. Japan: Kawashima, Uchida, Nagatomo, Hasebe, Morishige, Yoshida, Okazaki, Yamaguchi, Osako, Honda, Kagawa. Subs: Sakai, Endo, Kiyotake, Kakitani, Nishikawa, Okubo, Aoyama, Konno, Inoha, Saito, Sakai, Gonda. Referee: Enrique Osses (Chile) please log in to view this image please log in to view this image
Only 10:00pm here in Canada (same time zone as Brazil), but wee hours of the morning UK time, so don't expect a big crowd on-board tonight.
Fairly even game with opportunities at both ends. I find it interesting at the World Cup watching the current & former English league players we are all familiar with representing their respective national teams. In this game we have Yaya Toure, Tiote, Bony, Gervinho, Kalou, with Drogba, Kolo Toure & Gradel on the bench for Ivory Coast and Kagawa for Japan.
The Japs are a very good side. I've watched them in a couple of the warm up games and they are brilliant in the final third, always able to carve an opening. Watch out for a strong finish to the game from Japan as well, i think they will run rings around the Ivory Coast in the final 20 minutes.
Half-time watching my 4th game of the day - really not very productive today on my "task" list (fed the cats though) snack break time!
You did well to stay up, those matchsticks must be starting to hurt - 3:00am UK time, only 11:00pm here. ....and another day of matches to look forward to.
