HANOI — Australia and Japan have been throwing the favorites tag back and forth like a hot potato ahead of their Asian Cup quarterfinal clash, and Shunsuke Nakamura is the latest to play down his team's chances.
The Socceroos are keen to point out Japan are the defending champions and looking for a third straight title, while the Aussies are appearing at the tournament for the first time.
But Nakamura said Australia's 3-1 victory over Japan at last year's World Cup finals means it is Ivica Osim's men who are the underdogs ahead of Saturday's game.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.