Japan's coach blamed the team's inability to do something more after managing open the score at the Group F opening match in the World Cup Finals at Kaiserslautern today.

"We did not do anything after taking the lead," Zico said. "We had two clear goalscoring chances on the counter-attack but if you do not put the ball in at one end you sometimes concede it at the other."

"We have to change our mindset after the same thing has happened twice... We have to study the way we repel any power play the opponents may employ as a last resort," the Brazilian coach said.

"We may be able to stop a couple of shots but not for long because of our physical disadvantage. We also have to learn to convert our chances."

Adding to Zico's comments after the match, Japan's captain said that their power abandoned them and that they couldn't cope with the much fitter Australians. Naohiro Takahara said that he felt "very disappointed but this is not the end... I will make a fresh start toward the next match so that I can produce a result."

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