Japan provided another surprise upset in Qatar, with a victory against Spain and succeeded to top one of the most difficult groups in the competition.
Hajime Moriyasu embraced the 3-4-3 once more, just like the second half of their previous match. After the first whistle, Spain kept possessing the ball continuously, and they easily found an opener in the 11th min through Alvaro Morata’s header. On the other hand, Japan were forced to chase the ball and could not create effective chances in the first half as all their opportunities came from Spain’s mistakes.
At the beginning of the second half, some key players like Kaoru Mitoma and Ritsu Doan entered the game. These substitutions had an amazing effect on the contest immediately. In the 48th min, Doan equalised with a strong strike from his left foot, and three minutes later, Ao Tanaka added his name to the scoresheet with a passionate rush, which was the second goal they were looking for. They kept concentrating on their defense and denying many opportunities for Spain.
After all, these were all goals in this game and Japan had stunned Spain. As a result, Samurai Blue shock all football fans again and advance to the knockout round. Their eventful journey still continues.
