The United States men's Olympic soccer team will meet its Japanese counterparts in their opening match of the Olympic tournament here on Thursday.

As the two sides are in the same group with title favorites Nigeria and Netherlands, each team needs the opening win to survive the group stage. Even a draw will cast shadows on each one's prospect.

"We took almost 12 months to select the group that will play on Thursday," US head coach Peter Nowak said. "One goal, one game can change a player's life. I think they understand that."

Nowak said his players would face powerful challenge from the Asian opponents. "They've played together for a long time and know each other well. That's their strength," he said. "If someone struggles then someone tries to help. At any time they can launch a counter-attack and hurt you."

The US Olympic team tied 0-0 with Japan in a friendly in 2007. The two countries also have met in the knockout stage at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with the US winning by penalty shootouts.

On the Japanese side, it is Asia's most successful team at the Olympics and boasts a proud record of reaching the quarter-finals four times. At 1996 Atlanta Olympics, they surprised the watching world by beating Brazil 1-0 in the opening match.

There are no over-age players on the Japan's squad. Coach Yasuharu Sorimachi said: "It's not necessarily that leaders are over 24. On the contrary, because there are no over-age players in the team we have greater unity."

Sorimachi has put players' hunger to win before technique and physical fitness when selecting the 18-player squad. "The most important thing was tenacity and perseverance and not giving up until the last moment," he said.

Looking ahead to the opening match, Sorimachi said: "we definitely want to win the game."

The coach had earlier wanted to call up Japanese club Gamba Osaka's midfielder Yasuhito Endo. But the 28-year-old, famous for his accurate free-kicks, is not fit for the Olympics for illness.

Among the Japanese squad, only two are playing for oversees clubs -- midfielder Keisuke Honda with Dutch club VVV-Venlo and striker Takayuki Morimoto with Italian club Catania.

Talking about the possible effect of high temperatures on the US team, defender Hiroki Mizumoto said: "Rather than worry about whether the US is strong in the heat or weak, what's more important is that we are well prepared."

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2008)