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In the end it was hard to tell if there was a plan to the chaotic madness or if, indeed, Hajime Moriyasu had actually lost his mind.
Somehow, a match that Germany had absolutely dominated Japan found a way to win by switching formations, putting players in seemingly random positions and unleashing a torrent of pace that confused and flustered the European nation.
Japan’s 2-1 win continued a fantastic couple of days for Asian football but this victory was in stark contrast to the controlled performance we witnessed from Saudi Arabia 24 hours earlier.
Possession ran Germany’s way 65%-24%, they had 25 attempts to Japan’s 11 and 73 entries into the final third compared to Japan’s 20.
Once again it was the substitutes that turned things for Japan and there’s an enduring argument as to why the likes of Kaoru Mitoma – miscast as almost a left fullback following his introduction – and Ritsu Doan continue to be unable to crack the first XI.
The tactical plan laid out by Moriyasu was essentially as expected, three deep blocks content to sit inside their own half, with pressing that was designed to have Germany shift position more than hurry on the ball.
In tight spaces, Japan then lay in wait for mistakes with the pace of Junya Ito on the right and Daizen Maeda up front then the main outlet for transitions that were more about pure speed than calmly working things through the lines.
For the first hour it was a plan that produced little as Germany rained down a flurry of chances and even after the shift to a back three/five with the introduction of Takehiro Tomiyasu at the break little changed.
On the surface it was a move that seemed desperate, switching to a system that they’d seldomly played in competitive matches and removing the creative threat of Takefusa Kubo for the steel of Tomiyasu.
Then came the madness with Mitoma arriving in the deepest role he’s played for either club or country and Takuma Asano coming on in place of Maeda to perform the kind of role that isn’t that dissimilar to an inverted horse race where the rabbit chases the thoroughbreds.
Ritsu Doan arrived and shortly thereafter played as a right-sided wingback and the flurry of pressing started to rattle Germany and it was a sharp finish from the substitute that drew Japan level before a lofty freekick saw Asano race clear and finish from a tight angle to secure the historic win for Japan.
Afterwards, Kubo said he’d like the Japanese government to follow the lead of Saudi Arabia in declaring a national holiday to mark the upset result and whilst that’s not likely to happen, if Japan can keep this run going deep into the tournament then he might just get his wish.
WHAT WE LEARNED
A desperate Moriyasu found a way to turn things around: For a coach that has become synonymous with predictability, the tactical and positional switches that Moriyasu introduced in the second half were out of character but clearly produced results; whether that was down more to individual than collective qualities is debatable but the result will show that the changes worked.
Shuichi Gonda earns his place: After a poor season at club level and patchy recent international showings there was a real fight for Gonda to hold off the challenge for a starting role from Daniel Schmidt. The decision to persist with the veteran paid off as he produced one of his best performances for Japan, making a fine double save midway through the second half, plenty of others beside that and only being beaten from the penalty spot.
The lack of cover at leftback could hurt Japan: It’s clear that veteran Yuto Nagatomo is unable to last more than an hour and with the tough schedule it’s possible that he may not be able to get through three matches in a bit over a week. Using the creative Mitoma to cover that role worked against Germany but it appears a serious stop-gap solution and the decision to replace an injured fullback with a forward is one that could hurt Japan down the line.
WHAT THEY SAID
Maya Yoshida – Japan captain
“The fact that we have so many players in Germany helped us to win, we defended very well and we tried to stay calm and solid after the first goal. We knew that in the second half there would be more space in behind and our strength is team work and we showed that today.
“We changed the shape because we were struggling to catch the German players and we did better after that.”
Kaoru Mitoma – midfielder
“We wanted to win but we were hoping for a draw and the game was incredible; the fans, the staff, the manager and everybody’s power helped us to make history.
Takefusa Kubo – midfielder
“Maybe this is the best result for Japan in the World Cup.
“We saw the game of Saudi Arabia and that inspired us for sure and I’m happy for them, I heard they had a holiday after that win so I hope the same for Japan but I’m not sure that will happen.”
WHAT COMES NEXT
Costa Rica, who were soundly beaten by Spain, four days from now, is the next challenge for Japan in their only group outing where they’ll enter as favourites and keeping the side focused following this win will be key to avoid a slip-up.
Photo: twitter/jfa_samuraiblue
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