In the final match of the day, Japan plays Greece with kick-off times scheduled for 6PM ET/3 PM PT Where to watch – • English language: ESPN and WatchESPN • Spanish language: Univision, Univision Deportes Network and Univision online • Portuguese language: ESPN Deportes Referee – Joel AGUILAR (El Salvador) Starting lineups –  Japan: Kawashima, Uchida, Honda, Nagatomo, Okazaki, […]

Ever since the World Cup was expanded to 32 teams for the 1998 edition, only four teams have managed to qualify from the group stage after losing the opening game (Turkey in 2002, Ghana & Ukraine in 2006, and Spain in 2010). Natal, the City of the Sun, thus will host a must-win contest for […]

Japan and Côte d’Ivoire met in a rainy Recife for the fourth and final match of the day on June 14th in both team’s Group C opener. Despite the 97% humidity both teams showed energy in the attack to begin the game and Japan took an early lead in the 16th minute with a powerful shot […]

The opening round Group C match between the Ivory Coast and Japan is a very difficult match to predict as both teams are loaded with question marks. Is this going to be the Japanese team that beat Belgium and held the Netherlands to a draw? Or is this the Japanese team that lost to Belarus? […]

In what is sure to be the first of many soccer programs coming out prior to the World Cup, FOX Sports has announced a new documentary series showcasing six unique soccer stories from around the globe. The series titled Rise As One will air in more than 55 countries around the world and feature stories […]

A photo of Japan's away/change shirt for FIFA World Cup 2014 has been leaked on the Internet. Designed and manufactured by adidas, Japan's away shirt is in sharp contrast to Japan's home shirt for World Cup 2014. Japan's away shirt for Brazil 2014 is a fluorescent yellow with navy blue trim. It's bright, unique and […]

adidas has unveiled the home kit for Japan that they'll be wearing at FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. The beautifully designed shirt features a blue color with red trim and white stripes. The shirt features a red splash of color across the back of the shoulders, as well as a unique design on the […]

Photographs of Japan's World Cup home shirt for Brazil 2014 have been leaked on the Internet. And out of all of the World Cup shirts that have been leaked or announced thus far, this is my favorite design hands-down. Japan will be wearing blue as their home color in World Cup 2014. No surprise there. […]

Argentina and Japan have both already qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil next summer. While neither football federation has officially unveiled their new home shirts for next season, a photo and video have been leaked on the Internet that shows Leo Messi in a film shoot for an upcoming advertisement. Messi is […]

Japan's J-League has decided that it's going to switch to a two-stage season in a bid to boost fans and revenue. The two-stage season, similar to the apertura and clausura for many Latin soccer leagues, the Mexican league and the NASL, will begin in 2015. The change has been forecast to boost revenue by $10million. […]

For the old fogies like me, Italy against Brazil conjures up memories of the 1982 World Cup in one of the greatest World Cup matches in the history of the tournament. Italy faced Brazil in the second round. For a trip down memory lane, here are the wonderful highlights from the match: If today's match […]

Two key matches are on deck today in the FIFA Confederations Cup. Brazil, who defeated Japan 3-0 on Saturday, face Mexico who are still reeling from a 2-1 defeat against Italy in their opening game. In the second match today, Italy plays Japan. It's an opportunity for the Asian side to show what they're made […]

The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup begins today with host Brazil facing Japan. For viewers in the United States, the match is being shown live on ESPN and WatchESPN. The kick-off is scheduled for 2:30pm ET. Brazil opens the tournament at a brand-new stadium in Brasilia, a 68,000 capacity stadium named Estadio Nacional. Don't be surprised […]

Well the US gets three valuable points today. A few observations: For the third major tournament in a row (2006 World Cup, 2007 U-20 World Cup, 2008 Olympics) the US has come out in a 4-5-1. The fact that this has been done under three different coaches tells me its is the ideal formation for […]