[ad_1]
DOHA, Qatar (AP) — How large was Japan’s 2-1 upset of Germany within the opening spherical of the World Cup?
Newspapers in Japan used the time period “Daikimboshi” from sumo wrestling to explain the magnitude of the shock: when a low-ranked wrestler overpowers a grand champion.
The victory has additionally been in comparison with Japan’s 34-32 upset of highly effective South Africa within the 2015 rugby World Cup in England.
Japan was the underdog in opposition to four-time champion Germany, however it is going to be a robust favourite in its subsequent Group E match in opposition to Costa Rica, the place a victory may transfer Japan into the knockout stage with a sport to spare.
A loss by Costa Rica on Sunday would remove it from advancing. Costa Rica faces Germany in its ultimate match and Japan goes in opposition to Spain.
Costa Rica is reeling from a 7-0 thrashing in opposition to Spain in its opener, and it’s anybody’s guess how the Ticos will reply. With a inhabitants of simply over 5 million, the tiny Central American nation is showing in its sixth World Cup. It reached the quarterfinals in 2014 in Brazil.
Japan has by no means reached the quarterfinals at a World Cup, and that’s the purpose this time. That is Japan’s seventh straight look, and it has reached the spherical of 16 on three events, together with in Russia in 2018. It misplaced 3-2 in stoppage time to Belgium after main 2-0.
It was eradicated by Paraguay on penalties in 2010, and misplaced to Turkey 1-0 in 2002 when the nation co-hosted the occasion with South Korea.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu has spoken typically about going farther this time and breaking the “final-16 hex.”
Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late targets in opposition to Germany — they each play in Germany’s Bundesliga — to steer Japan to the upset. Asano acquired the winner within the 83rd minute, squeezing the ball behind German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from a really sharp angle.
Costa Rica was overwhelmed by Spain with solely 28% of the possession. It will additionally face the identical downside in opposition to Japan, which is ready to maintain the ball for lengthy spells, and can also be a fast, counterattacking risk.
“We couldn’t full three or 4 passes,” Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suarez stated of the Spain loss.
The Ticos must do far more in opposition to Japan.
___
AP World Cup protection: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
[ad_2]
Source link
