Review’s in: Japan on big roll
Winning goal stands after VAR, sending team into next round
Same stadium. Same result. Similar shocking victory for Japan at the World Cup.
After beating Germany in the team’s opener, Japan worked its way into the round of 16 of the World Cup on Thursday by defeating Spain 2-1 — the same score as last week.
Spain also advanced despite the loss, knocking Germany out of the tournament.
Japan scored twice early in the second half to come from behind and defeat another European power and make it to the knockout stage for the second straight World Cup. It’s the first time Japan has advanced past the group stage in back-to-back tournaments.
“For Asia and for Japan, our victories over Spain and Germany, two of the top teams in the world, is something that give us great confidence and we are very pleased,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. “Of course, there are many things we still have to learn, but Asia can win on the world stage, Japan can win on the world stage.”
Ao Tanaka scored the winning goal from close range early in the second half. It took about two minutes for video review officials to confirm the ball hadn’t gone out of bounds before the goal at Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, where Japan had shocked Germany in its opener.
Players from both teams looked surprised when it was announced that the goal counted, and the Japanese started running toward their bench again to celebrate with their teammates.
“From my angle I think the ball was clearly half out, but more than that I could not see because of the speed,” Tanaka said. “I was concentrating in scoring. There was always a possibility that it was out ... But in the end it was a goal, so that was great.”
Japan finished at the top of Group E and will next face 2018 finalist Croatia. Spain will take on Group F winner Morocco.
Spain and Germany — which beat Costa Rica 4-2 in a simultaneous match — both had four points in the group. But Spain had a superior goal difference.
The group standings bounced back and forth during both matches. Costa Rica was beating Germany at one point. If that result had stood, Costa Rica would have eliminated Spain.
Spain coach Luis Enrique said he didn’t know that at one point Costa Rica was winning.
“If I had known about it, I could have had a heart attack,” he said.
Álvaro Morata scored for Spain in the 11th minute and the 2010 champions were in control until Japan rallied after halftime. Ritsu Doan equalized in the 48th with a leftfooted shot from outside the box and Tanaka added the second three minutes later.
Luis Enrique said Spain “got into collapse mode.”
“We totally lost control during those five minutes. We panicked,” Luis Enrique said. “If they had to score more goals, they would have been able to do it. They got past us like an airplane.”
Morata became the first Spain player to score in the team’s first three matches at the World Cup since Telmo Zarra in 1950.
Spain had opened with a 7-0 rout of Costa Rica before conceding late in a 1-1 draw against Germany.
Japan, which lost to Costa Rica in its second match, was eliminated by Belgium in the last 16 four years ago in Russia. The Japanese have never gotten past the round of 16 at the World Cup.
By finishing second in the group, Spain may avoid facing Brazil in the quarterfinals and Argentina in the semifinals.
“There is nothing to celebrate,” Enrique said. “I’m not happy. We wanted to finish in first place with a victory.”
As for Germany, back-to-back early exits at the World Cup have coach Hansi Flick wanting to go back to basics.
The four-time champions were again eliminated from the group stage, four years after their embarrassing display as defending champions in Russia.
Something has to change, Flick said after the win over Costa Rica.
“I believe for the future of German football we need to do things differently in training,” said Flick, who took over as coach after last year’s European Championship. “For years we are talking about new goalkeepers and wingbacks, but Germany was always able to defend well. We need the basics.
“For the future, it is very important to focus on the new generation of players.”
It was only eight years ago that Germany won its fourth World Cup title, beating an Argentina team led by Lionel Messi in his prime in the final.
Belgium misses out: The ball reached Romelu Lukaku in front of goal with seconds remaining. Score, and he’d send Belgium into the round of 16 of the World Cup. Somehow, he missed.
Belgium, a semifinalist in 2018, and its aging generation of players were eliminated from the tournament after a 0-0 draw with Croatia at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, which advanced as the second-place team in Group F behind Morocco.
Minutes after the game, Belgium coach Roberto Martinez announced he’d be leaving his role after more than six years — a decision he said he had reached before the World Cup started.
His departure could easily have been delayed.
The 29-year-old Lukaku, Belgium’s record scorer but only recently back from injury, came on as a halftime substitute and squandered several great chances, the best coming in stoppage time when Thorgan Hazard’s cross fell to him at the back post, barely 2 yards out. The ball struck Lukaku’s midriff and instead of rolling into the net, it bounced back across the front of the goal and was gathered by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Earlier, Lukaku hit the inside of the post with the goal virtually unguarded. Another chance, from a header in front of goal, sailed over the bar following a cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
Lukaku punched the side of the dugout as he walked off after the final whistle, knocking the plexiglass screen out of place. Moments earlier, he was sobbing in the arms of Belgium assistant coach Thierry Henry.
“We could have won this game by three goals and we’d be walking away feeling very different,” Martinez said.