In a game of two contrasting halves, Japan and Italy played to a 1-1 draw in an international soccer friendly in front of 61,833 spectators at the Saitama Stadium 2002 on Wednesday night.

Japan, playing its favored 4-4-2 formation, surprisingly left star player Hidetoshi Nakata on the bench to begin the game.

The way Japan started, it seemed as though he wasn't missed. Against its more fancied opponent whose goalkeeper, Gianluigi Buffon, cost twice as much as the value of the entire Japan squad, the locals opened the scoring in the 10th minute through Atsushi Yanagisawa.

Junichi Inamoto combined with Kazuyuki Toda to steal the ball from two Italian defenders on the left flank before sending over a pinpoint cross, which Yanagisawa brilliantly dispatched with a first-time, right-foot volley past the stunned Buffon.

The goal seemed to lift Japan as much as it shocked the Italians. Controlling the midfield and providing the link between defense and attack, Inamoto had a good game, setting up some promising moves down the left and right wings.

"It's only seven months to go before the World Cup, and I put a lot of pressure on the team but I'm glad they passed the test," said Japan coach Philippe Troussier. "The fact that we scored quickly changed the match; the Italians couldn't play their normal style."

Well supported by Shinji Ono, improving by the game, Japan created a number of chances for the irrepressible Yanagisawa. At the same time, Japan's defense held firm, managing to stifle the much-vaunted Italian attack of Alessandro del Piero and Filippo Inzaghi.

Japan went into the half a goal to the good, and deservedly so.

If the first half was an exciting affair, the second half was anything but, as the game took on an experimental character with more substitutions than goal-scoring opportunities.

Cristiano Doni scored within five minutes of coming onto the pitch as a second-half substitute in his first game for Italy to level the score. Japan's defense failed to clear the ball from a corner and the ball fell to Doni, who made no mistake with a right-foot drive into the top corner.

As the pitch deteriorated -- the grass appeared not to have been laid properly -- so did the game.

Japan seemed to lose its shape as one player after another was brought onto the pitch. Italy created a few more chances to win the game but the final score was a fair result.

Nakata, coming off the bench for the first time since a World Cup qualifier on Oct. 11, 1997, and clearly lacking in confidence since his loss of form in Italy, failed to inspire Japan and looked lost on the field, but solid performances from Ono, Inamoto and Yanagisawa will give Troussier plenty to think about.

Japan goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata, making his international debut, also caught the eye with a composed display as the last man in defense.

Italian coach Giovanni Trapattoni appeared satisfied with the result.

"We were rather off-balance in the first half with Japan's high-paced performance, but our team did find its own pace in the second half," he noted.

Italian star Del Piero complimented the Japanese defense, saying: "It took us a while to get used to the atmosphere of the game, and during that period we gave away the goal. But the Japanese team defended well collectively, which impressed me."