Japan will greatly rue their loss against Costa Rica. It was their chance to definitively seal their spot in the knockout rounds, in a group where few observers gave them a chance. Even a draw against Costa Rica would have done Japan some good but now they seem destined to an early flight home.
This was a game of low-quality football. Both sides struggled to retain possession in the opponent’s third. They played conservatively in the first half and there was a paucity of chances. Japan again left their best players Asano, Mitoma and Minamino for the next half, a strategy that paid off against Germany.
With the introduction of Asano right after the break, Japan became more lively and created more chances in the 2nd half. They assumed control of the game but there were still not enough quality chances to pose a significant threat.
Costa Rica got a rare chance in the 2nd half and scored against the run of play, catching Japanese goalkeeper Gonda out, whose appalling positioning caused him to be unable to put a strong enough hand on the ball.
Japan left it at least 15 minutes too late to bolster their attack by substituting Minamino on. Costa Rica scored just as Minamino was to come on for Soma, who had been wasteful.
Japan created a few dangerous situations after the unlikely Costa Rican goal, but were never able to find the net as the match ended 1-0. With this result, Germany can qualify even if they lose to the Spaniards. Japan face Spain next and will not be optimistic about their chances to get past the group stages.
With Germany’s draw against Spain and Japan’s defeat, Germany’s spot in the knockout stages looks secure.
In the later game, Belgium, who have not yet been able to hit the ground running in this tournament, lost 2-0 to Morocco.
Belgium were poorly coordinated in attack. Hazard was poor while Batshuayi and substitutes Lukaku and Trossard lacked threat. Star player De Bruyne, who opined that his side’s golden generation are too old to win the World Cup, was not playing in his best position.
Morocco, on the other hand, were well-organised. They have impressed against Croatia and Belgium and are well-poised to qualify, with a match against knocked-out Canada next. Croatia and Belgium, part of the the final 4 in the 2018 World Cup, will fight it out in a crucial last round.
BLOGOPUS 