| Live Match Commentary |
Up-to-the-Second Score: Japan 0, Turkey 1 -- Fulltime FULLTIME MATCH REPORT
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90 +3' - Collina blows for fulltime. Turkey goes forward to a quarterfinal with Senegal, its best-ever World Cup performance. Co-host Japan is out, having dominated possession but not created enough to hurt Turkey. |
90' - Hakan Sukur booked for clumsy foul. The freekick is cleared for a Japanese corner on left, but it's cleared at near post and Turkey wins a freekick anyway. |
88' - Ilhan replaces Basturk. |
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88' - Nishizawa turns and shoots from outside box but he's well off target. |
85' - Morishima replaces Ichikawa for Japan. |
84' - Hasan Sas makes way for Tayfur, a more defensively-minded midfielder. |
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81' - Japan wins a corner. Again it's taken short and crossed tamely for Rustu to claim. |
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79' - Nishizawa turns nicely to shoot from outside box but it's over the bar. |
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76' - Tugay stretchered off for treatment. He's quickly back on. |
73' - Nihat replaces Turkish goalscorer Umit. |
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70' - Ono wins a corner on left. It's taken short and a cross from edge of box drifts out. |
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70' - Hasan Sas leads a two-on-two Turkish break but his run is blocked by Miyamoto. |
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67' - Ono concedes a Turkish corner. It's cleared for another by Myojin and that drifts behind for a goalkick. |
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66' - Hidetoshi Nakata slides a clever pass through Turkish defense for Nishizawa but it's just over-hit. |
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63' - The ball falls to Suzuki in the Turkish box but he's slow to control it and Bulent pounces to clear the danger for a corner which is also cleared. |
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62' - Myojin bites the bullet and tries a shot from left side of penalty box. He drags it past the near post, but at least it's a shot on goal. |
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60' - Nishizawa gets a header on goal but it's straight at Rustu. |
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59' - Hasan Sas runs from midfield, beating three Japanese players. He shoots from just outside area but it's weakly hit straight at Narazaki. |
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58' - Japan's patient play has it camped on the edge of the Turkish box but several shooting chances are spurned. |
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55' - Japan is pressing forward dangerously in search of an equalizer. Alpay is forced into a hurried clearance, kicking the ball away from the advancing Rustu. It could have gone anywhere but fortunately for the Turks it flies away to safety. |
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53' - Hidetoshi Nakata slams in a promising shot from edge of box but it's deflected into Rustu's hands. |
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51' - Suzuki goes down in the box after a challenge with Alpay but referee Collina urges him to get up, ignoring his appeals for a penalty. |
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48' - Bulent caught late and taken off for treatment. |
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46' - Ichikawa and Hakan Unsal both slide for a 50-50 ball. It's a nasty collision and Ichikawa requires treatment but he's ok to continue. |
45' -  Japan kicks off second half. Suzuki is on for Alex in the Japanese attack. Ichikawa is also on for Inamoto in midfield. |
| Second Half |
45 +1' - The Italian referee brings the half to a close with Turkey still leading Japan on Umit's header despite the co-host's lively finish to the half. |
44' - Turkey breaks out and Toda earns a booking for a late tackle on Basturk. |
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43' - Nakata's freekick cleared for a corner. |
43' - The lively Alex is causing problems, and Ergun is booked for bringing him down. |
41' - Alex bends the freekick around the outside of the wall against the outside of the left post. |
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40' - Hidetoshi Nakata pushed in the back by Alpay as they jump for a high ball on edge of Turkish box. |
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37' - Basturk's long range effort bobbles along the ground into Narazaki's waiting arms. Turkey's midfield and defense are dominating the game without much in the way of creativity. |
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32' - Hasan Sas receives treatment after being caught by an accidental arm in the face in a clash with Hidetoshi Nakata. |
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28' - The impressive Hasan Sas is starting to direct play in midfield for the Turks. |
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25' - Hasan Sas sends a half-volley flying over the bar from 25 yards from Hakan Sukur's knockdown. |
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23' - A patient spell of possession by Turkey ends with Hakan Sukur trying to chip the ball over Narazaki, but it's a comfortable catch for the goalkeeper. |
20' - Alpay trips Alex, earning the first yellow card of the game and conceding a freekick 30 yards from goal. Ono takes it short to Inamoto, but he wasn't expecting it and Turkey gets there first. |
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20' - Alex gets a shot in from a narrow angle on left but blocked at near post by Rustu. |
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17' - Miyamoto flicks a header behind for a corner after a promising Turkish move down left. Japan defends well and breaks forward to Ono on left but his pass through to Alex runs on to Rustu. |
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17' - Hakan Unsal slides in late on Nakata but referee Collina lets him off with a warning. |
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13' - Nishizawa beats Hakan Unsal inside box but the Turk gets back to make a sliding tackle as he shoots. Turkey clears the corner for a throw and Japan continues to press. |
11' - GOAL TO TURKEY! Umit, unmarked, is given a free header on edge of the six-yard box from a corner and the ball flies into the net. Hakan Sukur won the corner as a result of slack Japanese defending. |
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10' - Ono's cross headed away by Alpay. |
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9' - Alex gets wide on left and his cross his headed away for a corner. |
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8' - Hidetoshi Nakata wins a corner on right. It's taken short and Japan retains possession without threatening. |
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6' - Freekick to Turkey 40 yards out but the Japanese wall breaks early and Umit's hurried shot is well off target. |
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4' - Hidetosi Nakata knocks an early forward ball for Alex from a freekick in midfield but Rustu is alert to the danger and gets there ahead of the Brazilian-born striker. |
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1' - Basturk's run down left forces GK Narazaki into early action, racing from his goal to grab the ball at his feet. |
1' - Turkey kicks off on a very wet day in Miyagi. |
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Kickoff at 2:30 a.m. EDT; 6:30 a.m. GMT. Winner goes to the quarterfinals to face Senegal; loser goes home. Neither side has ever reached the last eight. Japan is in blue, Turkey in white. (All references to "right" and "left" are from the perspective of the attacking team, unless otherwise noted.)
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