Japan stun Spain to advance to the Round of 16

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Twenty-nine years after the Agony of Doha that saw Japan fail to qualify for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, 11 years after they claimed the AFC Asian Cup title in the same city and eight days after the historic opening win over Germany at the same Khalifa Stadium venue, once again the Qatari capital has provided the backdrop for another seminal moment in Japanese football history.

Pretty it may not have been but Japanese supporters were celebrating long into the night after a 2-1 win over Spain that both eliminated Germany from the group and saw their nation, amazingly, finish top of the group.

It’s the fourth time that Japan has progressed through to the second round and with Croatia awaiting as their Round of 16 opponents they have a fantastic opportunity to both create history and be able to mark off one of the checkpoints on their 100-year plan in qualifying for the quarterfinals of the current World Cup.

After a first half in which they were thoroughly outplayed, coach Hajime Moriyasu again shook things up at the break by inverting the previous changes that saw him start with a 3-4-2-1 and then switch to a 4-2-3-1 for the second half.

Two rapid fire goals, the first a thunderbolt from one of the substitutes, Ritsu Doan, and the second a contentious effort that VAR upheld from Ao Tanaka saw Japan turn things from a one goal deficit to a 2-1 lead in six second half minutes.

With things ebbing and flowing in the other clash between Germany and Costa Rica, the qualification hopes of both Japan and Spain fluctuated like a bottle in the ocean but for the longer periods it was Spain that was in the most danger.

As much as Japan’s defensive pressure produced better results in the second half, still it was Spain that controlled much of the tempo of the clash with the 17.7% possession that Japan had across the contest being the lowest ever by a nation to win a World Cup match in recorded history.

That, after they had an xG conceded of 3.53 against Germany in a match they won 2-1 and managed just three shots on target in a 1-0 defeat against Costa Rica.

The plaudits will go the way of Moriyasu and his changes but serious questions remain over why the team’s best creative players – chiefly Doan and Kaoru Mitoma – continue to be left on the bench and just how Japan has managed to top this group despite having led for just 54 minutes in total and having been in top of games for perhaps half of that at best.

For those concerned with results above all else that will matter little, for those that have invested years in the technical development of Japanese football to see them play smash-and-grab on the highest stage there may be eyebrows askew but tonight the coach and this group of players have written themselves into the annals of history back home.

Croatia now awaits a Japan side that is finding a shifting identity is producing results and what the short and long-term implications of this approach are will make for fascinating viewing.

WHAT WE LEARNED

Tactical tinkering once again produces results: For the third straight match Moriyasu started with one approach only to alter it at the break in games that they trailed. Whether it was a question of shape providing the spark or the individuals within the setup is open for debate although again the key aggressors in the comeback were all the second half substitutes.

Pace off the ball proves key: The key tenet of the Moriyasu reign has been the use of lighting pace in terms of closing down when out of possession and again the tandem of starter Daizen Maeda and closer Takuma Asano harried the usually assured Spanish midfield in slightly rushed passes, especially during the second half. Whereas Spain were using co-ordinated positioning to close off passing lanes a move or two ahead of time, for Japan it was all about solo pace and once again that tactic paid off.

Goals continue to come from various sources: Questions were raised over the lack of a clinical central striker from Japan and of the only real options in Shuto Machino and Ayase Ueda they’ve not seen a full 90 minutes between them. Indeed, none of the four goals have come from the number nine position and Moriyasu will be pleased that his decision has so far been vindicated.

WHAT THEY SAID

Hajime Moriyasu – Japan coach

“Spain are one of the best teams in the world and we knew before the game that this was going to be very difficult, and indeed it was.

“But the players persisted and they persevered and they turned the tide of the game. Everybody was excited that we were able to play as one again.

“There were many fans who came all the way from Japan, as well as those that stayed at home. We are gifting this win to the people of Japan, and we are very happy about it.

“During training, we confirmed a few things and the players gave me some ideas. We decided that we were going to defend and try to counter attack … it was a choice of all of us collectively.”

WHAT COMES NEXT

A Round of 16 tie with the defeated finalists from four years ago, Croatia, on Monday is Japan’s next challenge as they aim to the quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

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