Not content with one jaw-dropping shock in Group E, Japan managed a second in feverish conditions to beat a multitalented Spain side and claim another place for Asia in the last 16 of this increasingly unpredictable World Cup.
Two goals in three minutes just after half-time – one that was scored by the very finest of margins – shocked Spain cold, taking their metronomic rhythms and throwing them into a bin bag that was then politely disposed of. The Europeans still qualified for the knockout stages, in second place on goal difference ahead of Germany, but if this was a deliberate attempt to choose an easier path through the draw, nobody told that to their shellshocked players.
Written by Paul MacInnes at Khalifa International Stadium
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/dec/01/japan-spain-world-cup-group-e-match-report under the title “Japan shock Spain in controversial style to send Germany tumbling out”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
