Japan stage dramatic rally to reach round of 16, but are Spain fine with result? Dec 1, 2022Rob DawsonCorrespondent AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- Japan staged a heroic comeback against Spain to win 2-1 and book their place in the round of 16 at the World Cup. Spain led through Alvaro Morata's early goal, but Japan, who couldn't manage a shot on target in the first half, turned the game around shortly after the break with two goals during a frantic three-minute spell thanks to halftime substitute Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka. - World Cup 2022: News and features | Schedule | SquadsTanaka's goal was initially ruled out after the ball was judged to have run out of play before Kaoru Mitoma's cut-back, but VAR overturned the decision and gave Japan the three points they needed to be sure of a place in the knockout rounds.
“Coraggio, ” Nagatomo said. “We need to play with courage. ”Japan is appearing in the knockout stage for the fourth time and still searching for its first win. It rallied in group play to beat both Germany and Spain — two former world champions — 2-1 but also stumbled to a 1-0 loss against Costa Rica. Croatia, the smallest country in the final 16 with a population of only 4 million, was the runner-up four years ago against France and finished third in 1998. Could the third time be the charm? “Why not, ” said Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic.
2. Spain's struggles a blessing? After demolishing Costa Rica 7-0 in the group stage opener, looking comfortable for large spells against Germany and then taking an early lead against Japan, it's almost unbelievable that for a period in the second half here Spain were going out. Japan's rally with two goals in three minutes early in the second half -- combined with Costa Rica taking an unlikely lead against Germany -- meant Spain dropped down to third in Group E and facing an early exit. Spain manager Luis Enrique has Kai Havertz to thank for turning the game against Costa Rica in Germany's favour, but it will be a worry that when La Roja were desperate for a goal, they looked toothless.
WORST: Unai Simon, Spain. Gave the ball away for Japan's first goal trying to play out from the back. Highlights and notable momentsIf this ball is ruled out Germany would be moving on to the Round of 16 😱 pic. twitter. com/PcceKn0AIW— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 1, 2022 Check out ESPN's breakdown on why VAR awarded Japan the decisive goal after the ball appeared to go out. After the match: What the players and managers saidJapan manager Hajime Moriyasu, on the win: "We played against Spain, one of the best teams in the world and we knew before the game that this was going to be very tough and difficult, and indeed it was, " said Moriyasu whose side lost to Costa Rica in their second match in Qatar.
CM 2022 Qatar: Japonia învinge Spania și termină grupa pe
Cotele pentru câștigarea CM 2022 cu tabloul optimilor
Very few would have expected to top Group E by beating both Germany and Spain. Even more remarkable is that Japan were a goal down in both games and battled back -- a warning to any team they face in the knockout rounds that they are never out of a contest. Since qualifying for their first World Cup in 1998, Japan have never reached the quarterfinals, but they have already shown here that anything is possible, starting with a knockout round matchup against Croatia on Monday.
Player ratingsSpain: Unai Simon 5, Cesar Azpilicueta 6, Alejandro Balde 6, Pau Torres 6, Rodri 5, Sergio Busquets 6, Gavi 6, Pedri 6, Dani Olmo 5, Nico Williams 5, Alvaro Morata 7. Subs: Dani Carvajal 6, Marco Asensio 6, Ferran Torres 6, Ansu Fati 6, Jordi Alba 6. Japan: Shuichi Gonda 7, Shogo Taniguchi 7, Kou Itakura 7, Maya Yoshida 7, Yuto Nagatomo 5, Hidemasa Morita 7, Junya Ito 7, Ao Tanaka 7, Takefusa Kubo 5, Daichi Kamada 7, Daizen Maeda 7. Subs: Kaoru Mitoma 8, Ritsu Doan 8, Takuma Asano 6, Wataru Endo 6. Best and worst performersBEST: Ritsu Doan, Japan. Changed the game when he came on at halftime, first with a spectacular goal and then with the cross which led to Japan's game-winner.
How to watch free Japan vs Croatia live stream, plus match
Japan vs. Croatia World Cup 2022: Free live stream, TV, how to watch Round of 16Following its win in Group E, Japan looks to advance to quarterfinals for the first time. Standing in the way is Group F second-place finisher Croatia. The match will air on TV via FS1 in English and Telemundo in Spanish. Fans can also watch World Cup soccer matches for free by signing up for a free trial of fuboTV. LIVE STREAM: Sign up here to watch the World CupJapan came out of the group following wins over historic European powers Spain and Germany, which finished second and third, respectively, in group play.
JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixturesRapid Reaction1. Japan's special run continuesJapan gave notice four years ago that they're not phased by facing heavyweight opposition at the World Cup when they almost dumped Belgium out in the round of 16, but what they have already done in Qatar is something special. Despite being drawn in a tough group, there was a quiet confidence at home about what Hajime Moriyasu's team might be able to achieve.
(PRIVESTE IN DIRECT>>) Japonia vs Spania în direct online
There's nothing to celebrate, we go through in second, but this has to be a warning, to realise that this will happen. If we're lucky enough to go ahead against Morocco, this will happen again. We need to be a bit more convincing in those moments when we're under pressure. "Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information research)- Japan's 18% possession against Spain is the lowest by any team at a World Cup game since 1966. - Japan are the second team to defeat both Spain and Germany at a single World Cup, joining Austria's 1978 squad. Up nextSpain: Taking on Group D winners Morocco in the round of 16 on Monday.
World Cup 2022: Japan vs. Croatia live match - Reuters
- Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U. S. )However, none of that will matter if Spain keep playing like they did in the second half -- mistakes in defence and limp in attack -- because if they do that, they won't get very far at all. play1:50ESPN FC's Gab Marcotti defends Morocco after Spain finish 2nd in their group and face them in the round of 16. 3. Morata makes case but attack depth an issue Alvaro Morata has handed his first start of the World Cup and repaid Luis Enrique with a trademark header from Cesar Azpilicueta's pinpoint cross, but what followed was a lot of possession and not much else. In the first half, both Rodri (115) and Pau Torres (109) completed more passes than Japan did as an entire team (89) but as is sometimes the case with Spain, it didn't really mean anything, and for spells of the game it almost looked like they wanted to finish second in the group.
Morata now has three goals in Qatar -- tying him with Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Rashford, Cody Gakpo and Enner Valencia in the Golden Boot race -- and has made a strong case to start against Morocco. However, picking him from the start would leave Luis Enrique without a direct option off the bench if things start to go wrong. As Spain chased a goal against Japan, Marco Asensio, Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati all came on, but they struggled to make a significant impact. In the end Spain were fortunate that Costa Rica couldn't hold on against Germany, but they rarely troubled Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda in the second half.
_ Japonia vs Croația Cupa Mondială 2022 - Știri echipe, ora
How to watch Japan vs. Croatia (World Cup 2022 Round of 16 | Monday, Dec. 5)What time does the match start? What TV channel will it be on? - Monday’s match will start at 10 a. m. EST from Qatar. The match will air on TV in English via FS1 and in Spanish via Telemundo. Live stream info: fuboTV | Sling | Peacock Premium | DirecTV - Fans can watch the match for free by signing up for fuboTV or DirecTV, which both come with free trials.
Japan is playing in its seventh World Cup and has never been past the Round of 16, which is where its tournament journey has ended in 2002, 2010 and 2018. Croatia, meanwhile, was unbeaten in Group play with a win over Canada and draws with group winner Morocco and Belgium. The 2018 World Cup runners up are led by veteran Luka Modrić, the nation’s only player to to win the Golden Ball Award.
Viewers with cable can use login credentials from their TV provider to watch via FOX Sports (English) or NBC Sports (Spanish). Every match from the World Cup is also available to stream via Peacock Premium, which may come free with some TV providers, such as Comcast Xfinity. Upcoming World Cup TV schedule - Knockout Round(All times EST)Monday, Dec. 5Japan vs Croatia | 10 a. | TV: Fox/Telemundo | Stream: fuboTVBrazil vs South Korea | 2 p. | TV: Fox/Telemundo | Stream: fuboTVTuesday, Dec. 6Morocco vs Spain | 10 a. | TV: Fox/Telemundo | Stream: fuboTVPortugal vs Switzerland | 2 p. | TV: Fox/Telemundo | Stream: fuboTVMore coverage via the Associated PressDOHA, Qatar (AP) — Japan defender Yuto Nagatomo has told his teammates they’ll need to show “samurai spirit” in Monday’s round-of-16 match against Croatia at the World Cup. And they’ll need another quality that Nagatomo learned playing for almost a decade in Italy, mostly with Inter Milan.
The bonus for Spain is that finishing second in their group means they avoid the toughest side of the draw, which already includes Argentina and likely Brazil. Winning the group would have likely meant a quarterfinal matchup with Brazil, but now Spain's route includes Morocco in the second round, possibly Portugal in the quarterfinals and perhaps France or England in the semifinals.
It also becomes full circle for Moriyasu, who played in a World Cup qualifier against Iraq in Qatar in 1993 which became known as "the tragedy of Doha" after Japan conceded a stoppage time equaliser to deny them an appearance at the 1994 tournament. This result will surely soothe that painful memory for Moriyasu as his team continue an improbable run in Qatar.
How to Watch Japan vs. Croatia for Free: World Cup 2022