FIFA World Cup 2022: Japan Upsets Spain 2-1 to tops group and early Germany knockout, player ratings.
Japan surprisingly defeated Spain 2-1 to win Group E and advance to the World Cup's round of 16.
Both teams failed to claim maximum points in their last games, with La Roja forced to share the spoils with Germany, while the Blue Samurai suffered defeat against Costa Rica.
La Roja took the lead in the first half on a header from Alvaro Morata, but Japan's Hajime Moriyasu team secured their place in the knockout stages with two quick goals from Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka after the break.
At the Khalifa International Stadium, Spain completely dominated the first half and appeared poised to advance in first place after Alvaro-Morata headed in his third goal of the competition (11).
But after the break, everything changed when Kaoru Mitoma's cut-back, which initially appeared to have gone out of play, was turned around by Ao Tanaka and substitute Ritsu Doan, who equalised with a shot from the edge of the box (48). (51).
After the goal, there was a lengthy VAR review, but it unexpectedly decided in favour of Japan because the full curvature of the ball was not thought to have crossed the line.
This left Spain, who had been dominant in the first half but were lacklustre in the second, to worry about making it to the round of 16.
World Cup 2022 fantasy football: Japan vs Spain, Player ratings.
Spain: Simon (4), Azpilicueta (6), Rodri (5), Pau Torres (6), Balde (6), Busquets (4), Gavi (5), Pedri (5), Williams (5), Olmo (6), Morata (6)
Subs: Carvajal (5), Torres (5), Asensio (6), Fati (6), Alba (5)
Japan: Gonda (7), Itakura (5), Yoshida (6), Taniguchi (6), Ito (6), Tanaka (6), Morita (6), Nagatomo (4), Kamada (5), Kubo (5), Maeda (6)
Subs: Doan (8), Mitoma (7), Asano (7), Tomiyasu (7), Endo (N/A)
Player of the match: AO Tanaka
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