If Japan are to be eliminated from the World Cup following Thursday's final Group G clash with tournament favourites Brazil in Dortmund, they will not be going home without putting up a fight.

Zico, the Asian champions' coach, will be facing his native nation - for whom he played at three World Cups - but while the defending champions are heavily favoured to rack up their third win of the competition so far, the Japanese will go into the game in a positive frame of mind.

"We have hope," said Zico. "We have a difficult situation but we are going to go for a victory and let's see what happens.

"You have to respect Brazil. I respect the team and the players. They won 1-0 against Croatia and they could have conceded a goal. Our matches were quite similar and what happens is what is on the pitch and that's what matters.

"We are still here and if we leave the tournament we will leave it with our heads held high."

Japan faced Brazil in the final group match of the Confederations Cup last summer, drawing 2-2 with Carlos Alberto Parreira's team before the Brazilians went on to lift the trophy.

They need to go one step further on Thursday after losing their opener to Australia and drawing with Croatia if the Japanese are to match their feat of four years ago on home soil and reach the knockout phase.

Zico will at least be more satisfied with the kick-off time as the game will start at 9pm local time after complaining vociferously that Japan's first two games were played in the blistering mid-afternoon sun to accommodate television schedules back home.

"The next game is in the evening so I don't think it will be as taxing as it was today," said Junichi Inamoto after the 0-0 draw with the Croatians.

"But maybe Brazil will have hit their top form for the third game so it will be very difficult. We will just go for win."

Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar, meanwhile, is still trying to find a way to end his strikers' drought in front of goal after watching his team fail to score for the second World Cup game in a row.

Darijo Srna saw his penalty saved by Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi while Niko Kranjcar - the coach's son - hit the crossbar but, just like in their meeting with Brazil, Croatia ended without a goal to their name and now need to beat the Australians to reach the last 16.

"We will be really focused on this game as well, just as we were against Brazil and Japan," said the coach.

"We can do a bit more in training to work on our concentration and calmness in front of goal.

"In the last two friendlies and in the last two matches here our strikers have not scored and they are feeling the pressure, so I have to talk to them and assure them that they don't have to feel the pressure."