High Tech Japanese team on Thursday programmed the defeat of mighty Spain in a 2-1 victory at the group E of the Qatar world cup.
Spain scored first through Alvaro Morata who got a Cesar Azpilicuata assist in the 12th minute but on resumption of half time, Ritsu Doan equalized for Japan in the 48th minute and in the 51st minute Ao Tanaka got the winning goal.
Spain did the playing with 82% to 18% ball possession; 5-3 shots on target and 2 corner kicks to Japans no corner kick. Japan was as usual resilient not minding yellow cards as long as they do not concede goals for, they committed 9 fouls to Spain’s 6 bagging 3 yellow cards to Spain zero meaning Spain is not so good with set pieces as they could not convert their corners.
Germany slumped badly at the opening match 1-2 to High Tech Japanese team on the day that Spain slaughtered Costa Rica 7-0 which later paid off. In the 2nd round, German played 1-1 with rivals Spain in a highly technical game while Costa Rica decoded the High Tech equipment of Japan in a lone goal victory.
And so Japan won group E with 6 points and +1 goals difference; Spain made the Runners up spot with 4 points and +6 goals difference; Germany was lucky to occupy 3rd position with 4 points and +1 Goals difference while Costa Rica scored 3 points with -8 goals difference.
Tomorrow, Friday the last of the group stage matches in Groups G and H will be played. In group H at 1600 hours The Black Stars of Ghana will meet Uruguay in a match to revenge their last meeting at the world cup when Luiz Suarez played foul for Uruguay to win. In the other group match, South Korea will trade tackles with Ronaldo’s Portugal.
FOUR TIMES WORLD CHAMPIONS, GERMAN MACHINE BOOTED OUT OF THE WORLD CUP DESPITE VICTORY OVER COSTA RICA.
…WOMEN IN HISTORY: FIRST ALL WOMEN OFFICIATING AT WORLD CUP.
Four times world football champions, the German Machine were bundled out of the 2022 Qatar world cup at the group stages, the second time back-to-back as they were ousted at the same stage at the 2018 tournament.
Germany on Thursday beat Costa Rica 4-2 but there was no shine at all in the victory. Serge Gnabry opened scoring for the Germans in the 10th minute, but the Costa Ricans rattled them with two goals in the second half. First Yaltsin Tejeda pounced on a loose ball to score the equalizer at 58th minute and then Pablo Varges scored the second goal in the 70th minute which made the group table move like a yoyo looking as if two giants, Spain and Germany were set for the exit door.
Germany knew they have to play for prestige for how they will tell the story in Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich etc that a lowly rated team in Costa Rica kicked them out. The thought made Kai Havertz play as if his life depended on the match. He got a brace in 73rd and scored the 3rd goal at 85th minute before Niclas FuellKrug scored the fourth in the 89th minute. That victory did not mean anything because Germany left it late.
A unique and historical thing in that match is that it was the first time ever in the history of the world cup that it will be an all women officiating crew. A 38-year-old Stephanie Frappart of France who was 4th official in the Mexico versus Poland match was lead official with Assistant Ref Nenze Back of Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina of Mexico on the lines. The women did well.
Costa Rica came in as spoiler putting pepper in the face of the Germans who were wasteful having 69% to 31% ball possession; 14 to 1 corner kick; 11-6 shots on target though several were long letters to God being ballooned up into the skies in front of goal. They were rough and desperate players that conceded 9 fouls to Costa Rica 3. They were almost beaten but for the anxiety in the Costa Rican attack.
The Supporters and players of Germany were sore pained and looked as if they came for a burial as they went mute the players laid on the turf holding their heads. Most pained was 33-year-old (born 13th September 1989) most decorated player in German history, Thomas Muller of Bayern Munich who scored 5 goals in 2014 when Germany won the trophy after his first appearance at the 2010 world cup in South Africa.
Germany slumped badly at the opening match 1-2 to High Tech Japanese team on the day that Spain slaughtered Costa Rica 7-0 which later paid off. In the 2nd round, German played 1-1 with rivals Spain in a highly technical game while Costa Rica decoded the High Tech equipment of Japan in a lone goal victory.
And so Japan won group E with 6 points and +1 goals difference; Spain made the Runners up spot with 4 points and +6 goals difference; Germany was lucky to occupy 3rd position with 4 points and +1 Goals difference while Costa Rica scored 3 points with -8 goals difference.
Tomorrow, Friday the last of the group stage matches in Groups G and H will be played. In group H at 1600 hours The Black Stars of Ghana will meet Uruguay in a match to revenge their last meeting at the world cup when Luiz Suarez played foul for Uruguay to win. In the other group match, South Korea will trade tackles with Ronaldo’s Portugal.
At 2000 hours, Group G will be decided between Lions of Cameroon and the Samba Boys of Brazil and then the Serbians will clash with Switzerland.
See the round of 16 schedule as of Thursday
Netherlands vs USA Saturday 3rd December at 4pm
Argentina vs Australia Saturday 3rd December at 8pm
France vs Poland Sunday 4th December at 4pm
England vs Senegal 4th December at 8pm
Japan vs Croatia 5th December at 4pm
Morocco vs Spain 6th December at 4pm.
Eniola Olatunji reporting. #FifaworldcupQatar2022.
