Australia–Japan football rivalry
The Australia–Japan football rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists between the national association football teams of each country, regarded as one of Asia's biggest football rivalries. The rivalry is a relatively recent one, born from a number of highly competitive matches between the two teams since Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006. The two teams have played each other in several significant matches, including a World Cup group stage match and the 2011 Asian Cup Final.
2013 Japan national football team
The Japan national football team in 2013, managed by head coach Alberto Zaccheroni, competed in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2013 EAFF East Asian Cup and the fourth round of the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, in amongst international friendly matches both at home and abroad, as they progress towards the 2014 FIFA World Cup.