Japan boss Zico has called on his team to start converting their goalscoring chances or risk being eliminated from the World Cup at the earliest moment possible.

The Asian champions need to pick up at least a point against Croatia in their Group F match in Nurnberg on Sunday to stay alive in the competition and their Brazilian manager acknowledged it is time his team became more ruthless in front of goal.

"The Japanese team has created chances in every game but the big problem has been taking these chances and scoring goals," said Zico.

"It's not about creating chances, we can do that. It's about taking those chances and scoring more goals. We have to make more of our chances.

"But there's nothing that can't be solved and if the team wins tomorrow then I think we are good enough to get a draw with Brazil and go through to the round of 16.

"I have told the team that if we win tomorrow we are still in the competition and we have a chance to go through to the last 16."

Japan started the tournament with a defeat against Australia, conceding three goals in the final 10 minutes of the game to lose 3-1 to Guus Hiddink's team and if they hope to match the achievement of four years ago, when they reached the second round on home soil, they will need to tighten up against the Croatians.

"After 40 years in football I know that things like that can happen but what's important is that for 80 minutes we were able to play in the style we have worked on over the last few years," said Zico.

"There were a lot of mistakes in the last 10 minutes and it's important not to make the same mistakes. But I have told the players to think about the first 80 minutes and to play in their own style.

"What we have been doing is not wrong because of what happened in the last 10 minutes and we should go on and play in our own style."

Zico is aware the Croatians present even more of a physical threat than the Australians but he has no plans to drastically alter his team's gameplan.

"The Croatian team is very good and is good down both sides. They have big guys in the middle and are very good offensively," he said. "Both players on the left and on the right are strong and can create chances in the middle and that's something we have to be careful of.

"Our playing style won't change so much. We have to play better than against Australia and we have to play better with the ball and try to make more chances. The basic style will not be different than against Australia, only what we do with the ball."