Japan will know if they cannot manage to pick up their first win of the FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil, when they take on Colombia in Cuiaba, they will be packing their bags back home.
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The Asian side have been unable to find their goalscoring prowess in this tournament, much to their detriment. Despite having the majority of the possession against the Ivory Coast, they gave away two goals in the space of a few minutes to go down 2-1, while Alberto Zaccheroni's men could not find a way past Greece even after playing against ten men for much of the game.
"In the first two games, the balance was missing and we have now concentrated on the team to restore the balance that it needs," Zaccheroni said on Monday. "I have to say, surprisingly as far as I am concerned, that in this tournament we were unable to show what we had worked on previously.
"This is an opportunity that we have. We really, really and absolutely have to get a result tomorrow."
However, even a win against already-qualified Colombia in Group C might not be enough for Japan to go through to the last 16, with Ivory Coast in pole position at the moment.
If the Ivorians defeat Greece, who also have a slight chance of qualifying, they will join Colombia. Japan, on one point from two games to Ivory Coast's three, need to pick a big win over Colombia and hope the result in Fortaleza go their way.
Winning against Colombia, and that too ideally a big win, will be far from easy as the South Americans have shown they are a team to fear courtesy 3-0 and 2-1 victories over Greece and Ivory Coast respectively.
"The team can score goals and that's something very important. Colombia are repeating a history of always having been able to score," coach Jose Pekerman said.
"Colombia have been patient (and) this is possible when there are good players and they all work for an objective. That gives you results and is what has happened to us in recent times."
Colombia's qualification into the second round has been all the more impressive having done so without their talisman Radamel Falcao, who was ruled out of the World Cup just before the start of the tournament.
"Everyone in football no doubt knows Falcao's performances and for Colombia he was decisive for this team to be here," Pekerman added. "But at the same time the response of all the players has been exceptional and for me as coach it's proof of their capacity and character to be able to play the way they have."
Japan will have an opportunity to pick up the required victory against Colombia, if Pekerman, as expected, rests a few of his players. However, with qualification out of their hands, they can only hope Greece do them a favour.
Expected lineups: Japan: Kawashima; Uchida, Yoshida, Konno, Nagatomo; Yamaguchi, Hasebe; Okazaki, Honda, Kagawa; Okubo.
Colombia: Ospina; Zuniga, Yepes, Zapata, Armero; Aguilar, Meja; Cuadrado, Rodriguez, Ibarbo; Gutierrez.
Prediction: 2-1 to Japan
