Ivory Coast Vs Japan World Cup 2014: Live Stream, TV Viewing Info, Predictions And Preview

Ivory Coast and Japan face off in their Group C opener on Saturday in the Arena Pernambuco in Recife. In the extremely open group, also featuring Greece and Colombia, neither team will want to drop their first game in hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

The Ivorians are making their third straight appearance at a World Cup and will look to break out of the group stage for the first time. Fielding a talented squad of attack minded individuals, the team will undoubtedly be counting on Manchester City’s Yaya Toure, who is facing injury doubts, to drive the attack. Celebrated 36-year-old striker Didier Drogba, who is also racing to be fit for kickoff, will be looking to get on the score sheet in a third consecutive World Cup, having scored in the two previous tournaments. However, the Ivory Coast’s ‘Golden Generation’ hasn’t been performing well in pre-tournament friendlies, and coach Sabri Lamouchi’s experience and tactical intuition has come into question. The Elephants will look to get on the scoreboard first and counter with pace in what is a must win for them if they wish to qualify.

The Japanese side comes into the tournament, their fifth consecutive World Cup appearance, having finished first in Asian qualification. The extremely disciplined side is strongest in the midfield, yet lacks strength in finishing and in central defense. Coached by Italian tactical mastermind Alberto Zaccheroni, The Blue Samurai will like their chances of qualifying to the knockout round and will count on Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa and AC Milan’s Keisuke Honda to maintain possession in the midfield and spring creative attacks.

For the neutral observer, this match should showcase attractive, attacking football. Both teams need a victory in order to keep their qualification hopes alive and an early goal can make this a high scoring affair. And while the Ivorian side features bigger stars than Japan, the Samurai’s tactical organization and coaching advantage make this game difficult to call. The game will kick off at 9 PM EST and will be broadcast on ESPN and Univision in Spanish. For Live Stream go to www.espn3.com for live stream in Spanish, go to www.univision.com.