Croatia's Andrej Kramaric does well to keep a ball down the right in play but then his cross is over everyone's head.

Here was that first Japan chance.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC One

Really good move. It's a beautiful ball from Ito, great run from Maeda. I just feel he should get there. Maybe I'm being harsh but the run was great and the ball was excellent.

When you see Maeda's movement, you wonder why the goals don't come as freely because that was brilliant movement inside the box.

Peter Schmeichel
Former Manchester United goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

I wonder what that is going to do to Tomiyasu's confidence making a mistake like that so early like that. Is he going to be nervous? He has not played much in this World Cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Oooooh. Japan's Junya Ito puts in a beautiful cross which two players slide into try to reach and neither get there. Yuto Nagatomo, the second of those sliders, has a free-kick given against him.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC One

A couple of times Japan are just hitting long balls. They need to try a couple of passes. We can see this game is just falling into a natural pattern of Croatia dominating possession.

Japan captain Maya Yoshida plays a long ball which goes straight to the Croatian keeper. The 34-year-old ex-Southampton defender plays for Schalke these days.

Peter Schmeichel
Former Manchester United goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Ivan Perisic should have squared the ball back but it was a good save from the goalkeeper.

Croatia's Luka Modric made his World Cup debut against Japan over 6,000 days ago (June 2006). This is his 16th appearance in the tournament.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC One

It's a mistake form Tomiyasu, thinks he has more time on the ball than he does. Perisic is waiting for someone to come and nobody does so he tries to squeeze it in from a tight angle.

A huge let-off for Japan. Ivan Perisic latches onto a woeful backpass from the right-back position by Takehiro Tomiyasu. Perisic has an age to decide what to do and his shot from a tight angle is saved. The ball loops into the air and takes so long to land to Andrej Kramaric that the chance is gone really.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC One

Both teams have started really well with and without the ball. Japan came after Croatia but already this Croatian side have just fallen into a nice rhythm.

Japan's rapid start is over now with Croatia starting to ping the ball round a bit.

Peter Schmeichel
Former Denmark goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

Japan are here on merit, they have done really well. It is a team which averages 33% possession so it is not a team which dominates the game. They defend and have this incredible pace up front, that is where they have been hurting teams.

I swear every 100th person in Croatia must be a world-class midfielder. They seem to produce so many of them for a country of less than four million people.

Good play by Daizen Maeda now to close down Dominik Livakovic as the Croatia keeper goes to clear. Very bright start for the blue team - although it goes out for a goal-kick.

Jermaine Jenas
Former England midfielder on BBC One

Should do better, I don't think he's expecting it. He sees it all the way and you can see his disappointment when it goes wide.

A huge chance for Japan. Junya Ito plays the corner short to Wataru Endo, who immediately whips in a cross. It lands to Shogo Taniguchi, six yards out, but the defender's header goes wide.

Japan have a free-kick on the left wing as Daizen Maed is fouled. Ritsu Doan whips it in but nobody can get on the end of it. They have a corner however.